Construction turnover shows double digit recovery in Q1 2025, but smaller firms left behind as margins tighten

While gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) data had already shown a moderate outlook for construction investment in Q1 2025, more detailed quarterly financial statistics released for December 2025 paint a contrasting picture, revealing a strong 21.2% year-on-year increase in construction sector turnover, reaching R90 billion. This growth was driven largely by medium-sized enterprises, which saw…

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May 2025: Public Sector Building Pipeline Remains Fragile Despite Isolated Provincial Gains

In May 2025, South Africa’s public sector building pipeline continued to show signs of weakness, with the total estimated tender value for the month reaching R916 million—an 8.7% year-on-year increase, but still the lowest in three months and driven largely by a low base effect. While provinces like Gauteng and the Western Cape recorded strong…

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Real gains in house prices may offer much needed boost to residential investment

Residential property prices have steadily increased reaching an above inflationary increase of 5.2 percent y-y in January 2025, or 2.2 percent adjusted for inflation. In real terms, this is the best performarnce in the residential property market since 2020/21 following migration trends post lockdown combined with record low interest rates that provided a temporary boost…

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Construction Activity May 2025: Construction Value Grows in May 2025 Despite Sharp Drop in Project Volumes

In May 2025, South Africa’s construction sector experienced a mixed performance. While the total number of projects awarded dropped 29.2% year-on-year to just 131—the lowest since August 2022—the total value of awards increased by 11.7% to R5.9 billion. This divergence was driven by several large-scale civil and building contracts, including a R1.2 billion photovoltaic and…

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Construction Sector Strains Under Policy Delays, Despite Investment Hopes and Rising Tender Awards

Construction Monitor May 2025: South Africa’s construction sector in May 2025 continued to reflect a dichotomy between renewed investment optimism and deep-rooted structural weaknesses. On one hand, the civil construction market showed notable growth, with project awards exceeding R53 billion in the first four months—driven by large water and transport contracts. National Treasury reaffirmed over…

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Construction pipeline shrinks by R38bn as post-election uncertainty deepens provincial declines, but glimmer of hope in private sector demand recovery

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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Civil Tender Values April 2025: South Africa’s Civil Tender Market Continues Decline Despite Recent High-Value Awards

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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Emerging Contractors Drive Significant Growth in South Africa’s Grade 9 Construction Sector

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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Provincial Capital Expenditure on Buildings and Other Fixed Structures as at March 2025: Western Cape Leads While Gauteng Falters in Provincial Infrastructure Spending

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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