Minister Dean Macpherson announces adoption of 2025 National Construction Summit Declaration

The Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, together with Members of the Executive Council responsible for public works from provinces, has adopted the 2025 National Construction Summit Declaration — a unified commitment to turbocharge South Africa’s construction industry through improved performance, accountability, and strengthened collaboration. The Declaration follows two days of engagements with over 2,000 industry stakeholders at the National Construction Summit in Boksburg, where government, business, labour, and professionals agreed on urgent reforms required to accelerate delivery.

The Declaration sets out a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at improving the entire construction value chain from project preparation and planning, to procurement, professionalisation, sustainability, and site security. It introduces new accountability measures for contractors and infrastructure clients, expands skills development and contractor support, and accelerates digitalisation and innovation across the sector. It also strengthens community engagement to reduce site disruptions and calls for clearer, faster regulatory approvals to unlock the construction pipeline.

Minister Macpherson said the adoption of the Declaration represents one of the most significant steps taken in recent years to rebuild South Africa’s construction capacity and restore confidence in public-sector infrastructure delivery. He said that with the creation of 130,000 jobs in the construction sector in the third quarter, the industry has already turned a corner, and this Declaration will further expedite the sector’s growth.

“The Declaration is not just a document, it is a mandate for action. It provides us with a clear, united roadmap to accelerate project delivery and restore the integrity of the construction value chain. This will help restore confidence in the industry, which will support further investment and, most importantly, job growth as we work towards turning South Africa into a construction site,” said Minister Macpherson.

“Indeed, as I mentioned at the start of the conference, the construction industry has turned a corner. Last year, the National Construction Summit tackled the construction mafia head-on, and we have since seen a meaningful reduction in construction site stoppages nationwide. This year, we aimed to build on this foundation to further support and grow the industry, and I have no doubt that the Declaration we’ve adopted will help us achieve that goal.”

Key elements of the Declaration include:

• Publishing a Unified Performance Improvement Framework by June 2026 to monitor and report on performance across contractors, professional service providers, and infrastructure clients.
• Blacklisting non-performing contractors and professional service providers, with enforcement through restriction committees across all spheres of government.
• Accelerating the B.U.I.L.D Programme, including training 1,000 contractors on construction management systems and 3,000 beneficiaries through the Skills Development Standard in 2026.
• Implementing the Integrated Social Facilitation Framework to address site disruptions and strengthen community partnerships.
• Enhancing sustainability and innovation through a National Building Information Modelling Framework, digitalisation of project management processes, and updated building codes and procurement policies.
• Centralising legislation and regulation governing the built environment under the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure.
• Rolling out SACAP reforms such as digital dashboards, procurement war rooms, improved audit outcomes, and ring-fenced project budgets to prevent delays and cost overruns.

Minister Macpherson said the Declaration also reaffirms the government’s commitment to deeper partnerships with the private sector, industry professionals, and labour as South Africa works to strengthen its infrastructure pipeline and attract investment into high-value projects.

“We are entering a new era of delivery, where the public and private sectors work hand-in-hand to build the infrastructure that will drive South Africa’s economic recovery. The best way to turbocharge construction is through speed, accountability, and collaboration, and that is exactly what this Declaration delivers. Together, we are building a better South Africa.”

Enquiries:
Ministry of DPWI Spokesperson
James de Villiers
Cell: 082 766 0276

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