Master Builders elects new president

Bain, a council member on the Building Industry Bargaining Council and Master Builders South Africa representative on the Joint Building Contracts Committee, has served on the MBAWC executive committee since 2004, prior to being elected to serve as junior vice president in 2011. He follows in the footsteps of his grandfather who was the first elected president of the organisation in 1901.

History in construction

Hailing from a family with a strong history in construction, with the likes of renowned road engineer, Andrew Geddes Bain, as a distant relative and with the experience of working for his father, Colin Bain of Status Construction, the industry was an ideal career choice for the new MBAWC president. "I am honoured to have been nominated and elected to assume the position of president of this fine organisation. As a building contractor, involved in all levels of contracting, I am passionate that we, in conjunction with other industry players and our allied trade partners, promote the sector in its endeavours to be an active part of the economy in our region, bringing with it investment which is to the ultimate benefit of all our member companies and all of us that live in this great province."

John Matthews, CEO of Garden Cities and MD of Pinelands Development Company, was elected as vice president. He also serves as the chairman of both the MBAWC Skills and Education Trust and the MBAWC Development Trust. Matthews holds a Degree in Economics and an MBA from UCT. From 2006 to 2009, he served on the National Home Builder Registration Council (NHBRC), as well as on several committees. Presently, he serves on the NHBRC Advisory Council and the University of the Western Cape Council and is President of the Western Cape Education Foundation.

His fellow office bearer, Antoinette Farrar, in addition to making history for the MBAWC as its first female officer, has enjoyed a career in the construction industry spanning 25 years. During that time, she has served on the Electrical Contractors Association, Electrical Bargaining Council and Metal Engineering Industries Bargaining Council. Currently she is a member of the MBAWC executive committee and Building Industry Bargaining Council.