Architect and Builder Magazine South Africa March/April 2015 | Page 11

AFRICA TO HOST CONFERENCE OF GLOBAL CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRY SHAREHOLDERS
The annual African Construction and Totally Concrete Expo will take place at the
Sandton Convention Centre, from 12 May to 15 May 2015. The conference will offer
attendees five unique expo experiences which includes the African Construction
Expo, Totally Concrete Expo, Coatings for Africa, Housing for Africa and African
Roads Evolution.
“Together, all five conferences and expos will tell the story of shaping the future of
Africa’s cement, concrete and construction industries value chain,” says Soren du Preez,
2015 Programme Director.
The African Construction and Totally Concrete Expo is Africa’s highest profile event
for the construction industry - with PPC Cement, AfriSam, and Pan Mixers South Africa
being just three of a host of industry sponsors on board.
Registration and additional information can be found at www.totallyconcrete.co.za and
www.construction-week.com

FUNDING FOR FUTURE MASTER BUILDERS
Recognising the need for funding to be made available to further the growth of skills
within the SA construction sector, the Master Builders Association of the Western Cape
(MBAWC) has implemented a number of initiatives. Among these are the donation of
bursaries and an apprenticeship programme.
This year, the association for employers in the building industry has provided
approximately R519,000 in bursaries to 21 young people who are employed by MBAWC
members and have completed their first year of studies. According to Group Skills
Facilitator at the MBAWC Tony Keal, “These bursaries have been given to individuals
who have been recommended by their employers as well as by other institutions.”
He adds, “We only provide tuition for those that have attained fair results in their first
year of education as there is a huge dropout rate during the initial year of study.”
The MBAWC’s apprenticeship programme, which was implemented in 2010, has seen
142 matriculants being given the opportunity to earn while they learn. “The MBAWC
pays for their training and places them with our member organisations for experience,”
explains Keal.
Matthew Volkwyn, Raeez Abrahams and William Jeffree are among the apprentices
who will be qualifying in 2016. The three are currently employed by RMI Plumbing while
they study towards qualifications as artisans.
Additional programmes offered by the MBAWC include short skills courses as well as
full skills programmes in various trades. These are offered free of charge to employees
of MBAWC members. “We are also exploring the development of programmes in maths
and science to equip young people in disadvantaged areas of the Western Cape with
knowledge in these essential subjects,” shares Keal. www.mbawc.org.za

News Watch

NEWSWORTHY

CENTURY CITY BOOM
TIMES CONTINUE

The success of Century City
continues with billions of rands of
new residential, commercial and
hospitality projects.
The bulk of these new developments
are taking place in the Bridgeways
precinct where five cranes are
busy with the construction of the
18,000m2, R425 million Bridge Park
office development – a joint venture
between Rabie Property Group
and Growthpoint Properties - and
the Century City Urban Square
(CCUS), a R1 billion mixed use
project comprising:
• 900 seat Conference Centre
A
with 12 meeting rooms around a
business class lounge,
• A 125 bedroom hotel
• The Annex - 3,500m2 of offices.
• The Matrix, a mixed use building
comprising ground floor retail/
showrooms, 3 storeys of offices
totalling 4,500m2 which are for
sale and which will be bought
to the market in April and 51
residential apartments set over a
further three storeys.
• The Apex, an iconic eight storey
building comprising 7,900m2 of
offices over 7 storeys of offices
with ground floor restaurants,
bistros and coffee shops.
• A 6-floor structured parking
building and a super basement
parking garage providing a total
of 1,330 parking bays.
Colin Anderson, a director of Rabie
Property Group, says the Century
City Urban Square is the largest
development they have undertaken
to date at Century City. Scheduled
for completion at the end of 2015,
it will bring to more than R21 billion
the value of development which
has taken place since the launch of
Century City in 1997.
www.centurycity.co.za
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