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The 11^th edition of Big 5 Construct South Africa opened at the Gallagher Convention Center in Johannesburg following the official ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Dr Hubert Joynt, Programme Manager - Centre of Excellence, Infrastructure South Africa and Vishaal Lutchman, Managing Director, Zutari. From dmg events, the organizers of Big 5 Construct South Africa, Ben Greenish, Executive Vice President, Mehtap Gürsoy, Portfolio Director - Construction and Tracy-Lee Behr, Event Director were also present.

“This year’s Big 5 Construct South Africa has opened to construction and engineering professionals, with strong participation from both local and international companies,” said Gürsoy. “The event has long served as a catalyst for driving investment and innovation within the nation’s economy, and its significance extends far beyond the exhibition floor. The next two days are just the start of its impact and how it ignites innovation and conversations across industry leaders and decision-makers.”

The ribbon-cutting was followed by the opening of the 7^th edition of the Stakeholders Engagement Forum which prioritized building sustainable and resilient infrastructure in South Africa. Addressing the attendees, Aubrey Tshalata, National President, NAFBI, South Africa, stressed the collective efforts initiated by industry professionals to drive forward the development and transformation of South Africa’s built environment, despite challenging market conditions.

Also, attending the event were renowned industry leaders, including Lufuno Ratsiku, President, The South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions; Sekadi Phayane-Shakhane, Chief Executive Officer, South African Institution of Civil Engineering; and Themba Mahambi, Chairman, SANRAL. Some of the discussions at the forum highlighted the state of infrastructure in South Africa, innovative strategies to address challenges and opportunities from the design and implementation stages and the importance of asset preservation and resilience.

As the event opens for three days of business making, networking and knowledge sharing, it hosts more than 200 exhibitors from 20 countries. Supporting South Africa’s growing demand for products and services, Türkiye-based Teknorm Plastik showcases polycarbonate sheets; South Africa-based Mundo Ladders presents high-quality and durable ladders; India-headquartered Surie Polex brings granite polishing machines; Fritz J, leading suppliers of industrial and commercial roller doors and generators; Singapore’s Lintec & Linnhoff presents leading-edge solutions for the asphalt and concrete industries; China-based Fujian Qunfeng Machinery brings block production line, cuber machine as well as automatic block cuber machine.

Day one of the event hosted several Big 5 Talks on Africa’s water infrastructure issues that unpacked the potential of digital in solving legacy challenges; sustainable construction which highlighted the use of engineered timber and digital design; and driving sustainable strategies for the built environment. The talks enhanced practical learning in the construction industry by providing a hands-on, immersive environment where professionals engaged with the latest tools, technologies and methodologies.

The evening of the opening day celebrated impact in construction at the 2^nd edition of Big 5 South Africa Impact Awards, where projects, innovations, businesses and the dedicated teams and individuals were recognized across 10 distinct categories in a gala ceremony.

The winners of Big 5 South Africa Impact Awards 2024 were:

• Architecture Firm of the Year - GASS Architecture Studios
• Contractor of the Year - Construction for Africa
• Residential Project of the Year - Barlow Park Phase 1 by GASS Architecture Studios
• Commercial Project of the Year - 2.0 Conference & Private Lounge by Mkalavo Projects
• Community Project of the Year - Matale Secondary School by Avenir Holdings
• Retrofit Project of the Year - Flower Hall Test and Examination Centre by Maninga Engineering
• Sustainability Initiative of the Year - Green School South Africa by GASS Architecture Studios
• Excellence In Leadership - Darryl Epstein, Chief Executive Officer, Delta Scan
• Rising Star - Takalani Netshipale, Candidate Civil Engineer, KwaZulu Natal Department of Health
• Woman of the Year - Nathisha Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Transcendence Developments

“The next two days of the event are set to be as exciting and engaging, providing attendees with significant opportunities for growth and collaboration across a wide array of exhibitors, content programmes and speakers,” Gürsoy concluded.