Construction investment ended flat q-q and 0.7% lower y-y in Q2, although performance differed notably across the main market segments. Residential investment recorded the strongest quarterly improvement, rising 3.9% q-q, while investment in non-residential buildings and construction works declined. Compared with 2025Q2, residential investment remained 6% lower, while construction works were unchanged following growth of…
South Africa’s cement imports strengthened further in July 2026, increasing by 7.0% from June and 91.5% y-y to 159,918 tons. This lifted imports for the first seven months of 2026 to 909,046 tons, up 24.4% y-y, a marked acceleration from the 15.8% increase recorded for the first half of the year. Imports through Cape Town…
This week’s key construction and infrastructure announcements included Sibanye-Stillwater’s approval of the Burnstone gold project near Balfour in Mpumalanga, with approximately R3.5bn in infrastructure capital planned over six years, alongside the ongoing R3bn-plus redevelopment of the Optimum Colliery complex. Bidvest approved R2.5bn in freight growth capex, including a second LPG terminal at Richards Bay and…
Construction material inflation remained elevated in July 2026, although some pressure eased, with the Composite Construction Material Price Index slowing to 8.2% y/y from 9.5% in June. Monthly prices increased by just 0.2%, with declines in cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregates providing some relief. However, significant cost pressures remain in key infrastructure inputs, particularly electrical…
R395bn Construction Book Adds to the Pipeline, as Fixed Investment Remains Stuck at below 14% of GDP In this week’s Construction Wrap, we look at government’s latest R395 billion Construction Book, and the widening gap between South Africa’s growing infrastructure pipeline and the still-weak level of fixed investment. We unpack the renewed focus on project…
The total number square metres approved by local government for private sector building construction increased by 28% y-y, supported by an increase in both residential and non-residential building approvals. This increase the total number of sqm approved to over 1 million square metres for the month for the first time since October 2025. Approvals for…
R35bn Transnet Push and R8.1bn Metro Funding Put Infrastructure Delivery Back in Focus The past week brought a renewed focus on infrastructure funding and project delivery, led by Transnet’s planned R35 billion funding request for projects through 2030 and the R8.1 billion AIIB-backed programme targeting water, electricity and waste services across the eight metros. Water…
South Africa’s cement imports increased by 19% m-m in June 2026 and 34.4% y-y to 149,487 tons, taking imports for the first half of the year to 749,129 tons, up 15.8% y-y. Vietnam remained the dominant supplier, accounting for just over 90% of year-to-date imports, while Durban handled around 75% of total volumes. Although no…
Tougher economic start to 2026, but a few provinces buck the trend South Africa entered the second half of 2026 under renewed economic pressure. Headline inflation accelerated to 5.0% y-y in June, producer inflation reached 7.5%, and the prime lending rate remained elevated at 10.5%, limiting the prospects for a meaningful recovery in household and…
Construction delivered one of the stronger signals this week, with employment increasing 7.5% y/y in Q2 2026 to 1.35 million workers, despite a deterioration in the broader labour market. The detail was less convincing, however, with the increase driven by a 21% rise in informal construction employment, while formal employment declined by 1.8%. Gauteng and…
