Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has unveiled South Africa’s new Construction Action Plan, a framework aimed at restoring accountability in public projects and ending what he described as the era of doing business with government without delivering. The plan includes procurement war rooms staffed by engineers, supply chain experts and legal advisers to monitor large tenders and ensure projects stay on track. Among the key innovations is the digital tracking of construction projects, a system that would allow public visibility of progress and spending, enhancing transparency. “We all know that we have seen many failures by the government

JSE-listed PPC has announced impressive financial results for the year ending March 31, showcasing significant improvements in key metrics such as margins, profitability, and cash generation, reaching levels not seen since the 2018 financial year. The company’s strategic turnaround plan, dubbed ‘Awaken the Giant,’ has successfully rebuilt its foundations and transformed its operational approach, leading to double-digit increases in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda) and free cash flow. During the review period, Ebitda surged by 28% to R1.59 billion, while the Ebitda margin expanded by 3.8 percentage points to 16.1%. Free cash flow from continuing operations skyrocketed

Outa says chronic delays and budget overruns at Mapulaneng Hospital reflect a wider pattern of corruption in state infrastructure projects. The non-profit civil rights group, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), is calling on relevant authorities to investigate why many government infrastructure development projects take so long to complete. Outa was commenting on the Mpumalanga government’s failure to complete the construction of Mapulaneng Hospital, which started in 2017. Rising costs and missed deadlines The government is accused of failing to meet the deadline to complete the facility in June this year, while reportedly spending about R3 billion, instead of the original

The takeover of Barloworld by a consortium of investors led by Saudi Arabia’s Zahid Group has become unconditional.  Barloworld is a JSE-listed industrial company and is the exclusive distributor of Caterpillar construction equipment in Southern Africa. The company is set to be acquired by Newco, which comprises Gulf Falcon Holding, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Zahid Group, and Entsha, a company linked to Barloworld CEO Dominic Sewela.  Zahid Group offers construction, energy, manufacturing, travel, financial, hospitality, oil and marketing services. Barloworld shareholders have now been advised that Newco’s R23 billion Standby Offer relating to the Proposed Transaction has become wholly

The rand remained stable during much of Friday’s trading session as traders assessed the South African Reserve Bank’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged. It also remains sensitive to the ongoing efforts to reduce the steep US tariffs on imports from South Africa. The rand was trading at 17.34 to the dollar, only slightly different from its previous closing value.  On Thursday, South Africa’s central bank decided to maintain its key lending rate at 7%, opting not to ease monetary policy further while it evaluates the effects of previous rate cuts.  Investors are also closely monitoring tariff updates, especially following a meeting between

Activity in the building and construction industry in South Africa is expected to continue gaining momentum for the remainder of the year due to the upward trend in the value of building plans passed. This comes as mining and materials group Afrimat on Monday reported a sharp rebound in South Africa’s construction sector during the second quarter of 2025, with its Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) showing broad-based improvements across key indicators. Compiled by economist Dr. Roelof Botha on behalf of Afrimat, the ACI measures activity in the building and construction industry. Botha said the latest reading reflected a 6.8% quarter-on-quarter

he Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) recorded a solid recovery in the second quarter, with several key indicators having made a strong rebound since the first quarter of the year. The index, compiled by economist Dr Roelof Botha on behalf of JSE-listed construction materials and industrial minerals producer Afrimat, showed a 21.7% quarter-on-quarter increase in the value of buildings completed indicator, while the sales value of building materials indicator was up by 13% and the volume of building materials produced by 10%. However, the recovery of the ACI was fairly predictable, as the indicators included in the index came off the low base recorded in the first quarter of the year, Botha points

Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala is set to address the 2nd National Contractor Development roadshow in the Northern Cape.To be held in Kimberly, the roadshow is aimed at supporting emerging contractors to break through the lower level Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) grading, by providing business growth and opportunities, funding, mentorship and skills development.The roadshow is a response to concerns that many contractors remain in the 1 to 4 CIDB grading which limits their participation in multi-million-rand construction projects.The roadshow will go to different parts of the country, making sure that no contractors are left behind. Led by

Despite modest revenue growth and higher costs, Cashbuild made a significantly higher profit in its 2025 financial year. Cashbuild is one of southern Africa’s largest retailers of building materials and associated products. The company released its results for the year ended 29 June 2025 on Wednesday, 3 September, which showed a mixed performance for the group. Its revenue grew by 2.56% to R11.48 billion, while its cost of sales increased by 2.50% to R8.63 billion. Despite these modest increases, Cashbuild reported profit growth of 161.27% to R228.81 million.  Basic earnings per share also rose by around 163% to 1,042.5 cents

South Africa’s economy expanded by 0.8% during the second quarter of 2025, following a marginal increase of 0.1% during the first quarter, mainly driven by increased output in the manufacturing and mining sectors, Statistics South Africa said on Tuesday.  Eight of the 10 industries reported positive growth during the three months from April to June this year.  The mining sector increased by 3.7%, contributing 0.2 percentage points to the overall growth, with the largest contributions coming from platinum group metals, gold and chromium ore. The manufacturing sector added 0.2 percentage points to the GDP number, having increased by 1.8%.  “Seven of the 10 manufacturing divisions reported positive growth rates.