July 2015
T
he African Union for Housing
Finance is pleased to announce
the Call for Papers for its 31st
Annual Conference, to be held from
26-28October 2015 at the Safari Hotel
and Conference Centre in Windhoek,
Namibia.
Abstracts covering the following is-
sues are invited alongwith any others
that address the main theme of the
conference, Making Housing Finance
Markets Work in Africa: Financing
the housing value chain; Financing
the mortgage portfolio; Growing the
capacity of housing micro lending;
Harnessing the property market;
AUHF 2015
Housing finance that responds to
demand.
All submitted abstracts will be
reviewed by the programme commit-
tee. Papers will be assessed on how
well they contribute to the theme
of the conference considering the
significance, relevance, correctness,
originality and clarity of the paper.
Submissions should be made using
the Speaker Submission Template
that can be downloaded,
All speakers will be expected to
register for the conference and cover
their own registration fees, travel
and accommodation. Proposals
should be emailed to: registrar@sbs.
co.zawith “AUHF2015 proposal” stated
in the subject line of the email.
Deadline dates: 24 July 2015: Submis-
sions of proposals; 8 August 2015:
Notification of acceptance or not;
30 September 2015: Submission of
presentation material.
For further information con-
tact AUHF 2015 Conference Sec-
retariat on 021 914 2888 or email
registrat@sbs.co.za■
F
rans Pienaar of Inyatsi Con-
struction says, “Countries have
various standards which have
to be followed with each individual
contract and specific industry body.
However, there are general basic
standards for the construction indus-
try worldwide. These basic standards
tie up and align to a certain extent.”
It is important to adhere to these
standards, because compliance
invites investment. Adhering to
standards assures investors that the
product delivery is of good quality,
which makes it easier for investors
to get involved.
“Inyatsi Construction has been
involved in many projects including
building roads to connectmembers of
the community to their place of work,
as well as many other amenities. We
pride ourselves on the infrastructure
projects we have been involved in,
from roads, hospitals and clinics that
offer health services to communities,
to schools that provide education to
our future leaders. We also contribute
through our CSI programmes that
run in the areas where we operate,”
explains Pienaar.
The new airport in Swaziland, for
example, helped to grow the local
country’s gross domestic product
(GDP), while upgrading the main
link between the south and north
of Africa through the town of Living-
stone in Zambia, which improved
traffic flow, growing revenue for the
town. Infrastructure projects such as
bridges and roads in Mozambique
and Swaziland also provided a foun-
dation for local development, such as
the bridge over the Great Umbeluzi
River in Mozambique that stimulated
growth in the border town of Goba.
The dual carriage-way in Swaziland
between Mbabane and Matsapha is
also contributing to development in
the region.
All these projects were completed
by Inyatsi Construction and have a
positive impact on the lives of com-
munity members in these areas, be-
cause the construction of infrastruc-
ture such as schools and hospitals
contributes to economic growth in
developing countries. Better facili-
ties lead to an increase in population
density while also providing markets
for other businesses.
It also provides comfort to inves-
tors and stimulates the market for
new developments, while the level
of education around these develop-
ments increases, contributing to the
availability of skills in turn. Improved
infrastructure also lowers the cost of
doing business. Businesses thrive on
access for people and freight because
it enhances the ability to reach mar-
kets in a cost-effective way.
Pienaar says that Inyatsi Con-
struction has been developing Sub-
Saharan Africa responsibly since
1982. It has been accredited with the
International StandardisationOrgan-
isation (ISO) as well as the National
Occupational Safety Association
(NOSA) for meeting national as well
as international standards.
■
Development in Sub-Saharan Africa
Infrastructure & Mixed Use
Adhering to national and international standards helps construction
companies to assure investors that they can be held accountable,
as it ensures responsibility, which in turn lowers risk levels.