Straight from the horses mouth. That is Industry Insight’s Preferred Supplier and Competitor Survey (PSS) conducted amongst active contractors across various sites in South Africa. The survey covered 38 projects worth R2.70bn (current prices) for October 2026 across 16 material categories in six provinces. That is down from 52 projects worth R5.28bn in September 2026, and the surveyed projects were mostly awarded in March 2026. The Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal each had 10 projects, while Gauteng’s six projects (R841m) were almost as valuable as the Eastern Cape’s ten (R851m). The professional team was the deciding factor in 61.1% of recorded producer choices, well above its 12-month average of 52.9%.
Price also gained weight, at 15.1% against an 8.9% average, as contractors faced October fuel levies on bricks and concrete of 1.5% to 9.5% and some public-sector contractors switched to cheaper products. Much of the market is still driven by older projects, many awarded in 2024, that have been slowed by funding gaps, late payments and community disruption. Contractors told us it can take seven to nine months to get from tender award to site, and around R3bn in large water projects is still waiting on funding and permits before work can start in 2027. Industry Insight clients receive the full material-by-material and supplier-level results.