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As of March 2025, South Africa’s construction pipeline declined sharply by 17.4% year-on-year, worsening from a 14.6% drop at the end of 2024. The overall pipeline value fell by R38 billion to R180 billion. Provincial trends varied, with only North West showing growth, while KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and Free State experienced severe contractions exceeding 30%. Gauteng…

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South Africa’s civil tender market faced ongoing challenges in April 2025, with total tender values showing a steep decline in April to R6.3 billion, following an even sharper decline, exceeding 40 percent in the first quarter. KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga recorded the largest reductions, while Gauteng, Northern Cape, and North West bucked the trend, showing increases,…

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As of May 2025, the South African construction sector experienced significant growth in CIDB Grade 9 contractor registrations. Civil engineering contractors (Grade 9CE) increased by 11% since October 2024 to 296, largely driven by emerging contractors, whose numbers grew substantially by 80% over the last two years. Similarly, general building contractors (Grade 9GB) rose by…

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South Africa’s provinces collectively spent R29 billion on buildings and other fixed structures during the 2024/25 financial year, up 7.9% from the previous year despite a R1.5 billion underspend against budget. The Western Cape achieved the highest budget execution rate at nearly 100%, with a strong 18% rise in actual expenditure, while KwaZulu-Natal also improved…

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The April 2025 Construction Monitor provides an in-depth analysis of South Africa’s construction sector, presenting a complex mix of challenges and opportunities. The report highlights a significant shift in market dynamics, shaped by both macroeconomic pressures and critical infrastructure needs across the country. South Africa’s economic performance in early 2025 reflects a fragile recovery underpinned…

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The 2024 Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) data from the South African Reserve Bank reveals a marginal increase of 0.4% year-on-year in total construction investment to R387 billion (nominal terms), with about R65 billion attributed to machinery and equipment costs. Although GFCF growth was subdued, construction industry turnover rose a stronger 10.1% to R322 billion,…

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Civil tender activity took a sharp downturn in early 2025, with the number of tenders falling 29% in Q1 and values plummeting by over R10.5 billion compared to the same period in 2024. Despite this broad contraction, the Eastern Cape and Free State bucked the trend, showing strong growth in tender value and volume respectively….

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In March 2025, South Africa’s construction sector saw a 23% rise in project awards and a 16% increase in value, led by major civil projects in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. However, tender activity dropped sharply by 42% year-on-year, and project cancellations surged—particularly in the education sector—raising concerns over a shrinking project pipeline and future…

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Please find the Q1 2025 update of the quarterly Construction Activity Profile (CAP) for the South African construction industry. It includes quarterly updates of construction project awards, tenders, postponements and cancellations by province for the building and civil sectors. Click here to download the Q1 2025 Provincial Dashboard (Available to Subscribers)

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In the first two months of 2025, South Africa imported 254,549 tons of cement, marking a 22% year-on-year increase. Vietnam remained the dominant supplier, accounting for 89% of imports despite a 44% drop in February volumes. Imports from Mozambique and Namibia surged by 152% and 56% respectively, together contributing 10.7% of total imports, up from…

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