Against the backdrop of World Environment Day 2025 and Africa’s fast-approaching construction boom, Saint-Gobain Africa hosted its first Sustainable Construction Talk (SCT) on African soil last week. Held at Workshop17 in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, the gathering united developers, architects, engineers, finance and sustainability experts to unpack one vital question: How do we build sustainably and inclusively, at the right cost?

Saint-Gobain’s Sustainable Construction Talks have previously made global stops in Paris, New York, Milan and Dubai. This Cape Town edition was the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region where an estimated 80% of buildings needed by 2050 have not yet been constructed, presenting both a pressing challenge and an extraordinary opportunity.

In his welcome address, Othman Benjelloun-Touimi, CEO of Saint-Gobain Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighted the need for collaboration and contextual thinking: “We are not here to duplicate global strategies. Africa requires homegrown solutions that reflect our communities, climate, and cultures. At Saint-Gobain, our commitment is to ‘Make it in Africa to Build Africa’ cultivating partnerships that grow local industries, create jobs, and support a more inclusive, climate-resilient built environment.”

According to the recently released 2025 Sustainable Construction Barometer, conducted across 27 countries, just 33% of African construction stakeholders feel adequately informed about sustainable practices. Yet respondents consistently ranked environmental protection, material competitiveness, and transparency as key priorities for sustainable construction.

Climate change, said panellists, is placing severe strain on the livelihoods of daily wage earners in the construction sector and challenging the resilience of infrastructure across the continent. But if tackled collaboratively, the sector has the potential to drive inclusive economic growth.

“Designing with biodiversity, end-user comfort, community engagement, and incorporating indigenous architecture" one speaker noted, “allows us to build spaces that are not only functional, but fair spaces that reflect who we are and where we’re going.”

This was not just a talk; it was a platform for action. With infrastructure projects accelerating across South Africa, Saint-Gobain urged all stakeholders to help shape the country’s evolving green building standards and climate policies.

“Let’s move from conversations to commitments,” said Benjelloun-Touimi. “We are proud to stand alongside Africa’s changemakers and contribute to building a future where sustainability and inclusivity are not optional, they are standard.”

The event closed with a powerful message: the future of Africa is not yet built, and we have the tools, the vision, and the will to build it better.