Construction World July 2017

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD JULY 2017 2
COMMENT
EDITOR & DEPUTY PUBLISHER
Wilhelm du Plessis
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Erna Oosthuizen
LAYOUT & DESIGN
Lesley Testa
CIRCULATION
Karen Smith
TOTAL CIRCULATION:
(First Quarter ’17)
4 762
PUBLISHER
Karen Grant
PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY
Crown Publications cc
P O Box 140
BEDFORDVIEW, 2008
Tel: 27 11-622-4770 • Fax: 27 11-615-6108
The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher.
PRINTED BY
Tandym Cape
@ConstWorldSA
REMEMBER TO
• Enter your Best Project. The deadline for entries is
8 September 2017
• Book your advertisement in the special Best Projects
issue in December to associate your brand with
excellence Contact Erna Oosthuizen in this regard
(contact details at the bottom of this page)
By 2018 Johannesburg’s population will reach 10 million
and by 2030 it will reach 11,6 million. This is according to
international law firm, Pinsent Masons that has launched a
thought leadership programme that will bring together experts
from their 23 global offices.
The inaugural event of this programme revealed some
interesting facts. Cities produce some 80% of global economic
output; no country has grown to middle-class status without
urbanising and no country has attained high income status
without urbanising. It is very clear that cities play a vital role in
national and global growth.
In a city the size of Johannesburg, the infrastructure backlog
is high – and getting higher. If South Africa wants to improve its
economy, this widening gap has to be closed. Instead of relying
only on government spend to achieve this, significantly more
private investment has to be attracted. Even though public-
private partnerships are notorious for their high bureaucratic
cost and endless red tape, Pinsent Masons does offer some
indication of how such private investment can be achieved.
Planning is key
It firstly states that there has to be transformation in
infrastructure governance which will in turn unlock private
investment. It furthermore proposes the drawing up of a long-
term plan (two decades or more) of what is to be achieved.
Planning ahead is a characteristic of advanced emerging
economies: without planning long enough ahead no
development gap will be closed.
It also proposes the development of a clear infrastructure
delivery strategy that will support an innovative infrastructure
sector. This in turn, has to be supported by skills development.
An aerial view of a rapidly developing township close to the
Johannesburg CBD. Only through good urban planning will South
Africa develop into a solid middle-class country.
Two articles in this month’s issue, ‘Gauteng
to roll out the green carpet for urban
development – page 32’ and ‘Affordable
housing solutions using prefabrication’ –
page 35 are of direct relevance for the speed
and quality of urbanisation in Johannesburg.
When you do not plan
Many growing African economies, sadly, have a severe lack
of urban planning. This is evidenced by the massive traffic
congestion often found in African cities, lack of water, sanitation,
electricity, etc. When these basics are not in place, there is no
way that cities can become the centres from which the country’s
main economic output has to be generated, resulting in
stagnant economies.
Wilhelm du Plessis
Editor