Big goals for construction-focused event

This year’s Big 5 Construct Southern Africa is being held with the aim of driving economic growth, recovery and transformation within Southern Africa’s construction industry.

The Big 5 Construct Southern Africa and co-located events will be held at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, Gauteng, from June 27 to 29, and seeks to educate and inspire the industry with the latest trends, innovations and opportunities.

According to analytics and consulting firm GlobalData, the Southern African construction industry is resilient and has a promising future, with its output expected to increase by 3.2% this year, surpassing the 1.7% growth achieved in 2022. ​

Recognising this progress and positivity is key to the next edition of the yearly Big 5 Construct Southern Africa expo – with co-located events African Smart Cities Summit, the Big 5 Southern Africa Construction Impact Awards and the inaugural Big 5 Southern Africa Construction Leaders’ Summit.

“These events are not only promoting upcoming projects, trends and opportunities in Southern Africa’s construction market, they are celebrating the great work being done in the industry, inspiring even greater things, and striving towards a future-proofed industry,” says event organiser dmg’s event built environment portfolio director Tracy-Lee Behr.

“The construction industry has faced challenges but is in recovery,” she enthuses, noting that there are many opportunities in the industry with many professionals who have exciting ideas and fresh perspectives to share, and the co-located events will provide the chance to explore opportunities to collectively ensure industry resilience and growth.

The tenth Big 5 Construct Southern Africa will offer contractors, engineers, architects, surveyors, designers, and property owners a one-stop shop to identify viable opportunities and materials to complete projects efficiently and on budget.

The African Smart Cities Summit will run on June 28 and is Africa’s only dedicated conference exploring the economic benefits of smart cities enabled through growth in Internet of Things, technology and creative thinking.

The first Big 5 Southern Africa Construction Leaders’ Summit will take place on June 29 and will unite high-level decision-makers, essential industry stakeholders and premier service providers to converse, deliberate and propel the advancement of infrastructure construction and development within the Southern African Customs Union region.

An invitation-only event, the Big 5 Southern Africa Construction Leaders’ Summit promises a gathering packed with experts from government to specialist funding institutions, who lead interactive panel discussions and keynote sessions on leadership, investment, partnership opportunities, and more.

The Big 5 Southern Africa Construction Impact Awards on June 27 has been created as a platform to celebrate those achievements that go beyond traditional measures of project delivery.

Being Present

Industry body Concrete Manufacturers Association (CMA) is among the associated partners for this year’s Big 5 Construct Southern Africa.

“It’s a privilege to be affiliated with events that are tailored to our industry and that stand for promoting innovation and professionalism,” says CMA director and GM Henry Cockcroft.​

He adds that CMA looks forward to engaging with the many stakeholders and representatives who will come together to showcase new ideas and to determine the way forward to ignite further progress in the construction sector within Southern Africa.

Behr adds that uniting as an industry to address and solve the current problems and realities allows the sector to reflect on how far it has come and what can be done together to make the most of the future.

“These events will offer unrivalled networking and deal-making opportunities, combining all facets of construction infrastructure and are not to be missed,” she concludes.