BUSINESS NEWS - Frustration is growing over the slow recovery of South Africa’s civil engineering and construction sector and its knock-on effects in the wider economy.
The government’s massive infrastructure expenditure is – in some quarters – also not expected to ease the industry’s plight.
This is despite the government in October unveiling the second tranche of the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (Sidssa) project pipeline comprising 55 new catalytic infrastructure projects valued at about R595 billion, which is anticipated to create an estimated 538 500 employment opportunities.
Industry Insight CEO Elsie Snyman said financing is unfortunately a problem for these projects, with 75% of the required investment not available “rendering the potential pipeline of projects, just another pie in the sky that sounds good on paper only”.
