Sustainability the theme of MBSA 2014 Congress
The annual Master Builders South Africa (MBSA) Congress is the premium gathering for building contractors, construction and project managers, built environment professionals, manufacturers and suppliers to the building industry.
MBSA executive director, Tumi Dlamini
This year's congress will be held from 21-23 September at The Boardwalk Hotel and Convention Centre in Port Elizabeth.
Under the theme of 'Building a Sustainable South Africa', the MBSA Congress will once again provide an opportunity for national and African representatives to come together and discuss the latest trends, opportunities and challenges faced by the building industry. The line-up of top speakers together with panel and delegate participation will stimulate relevant information and insight into many aspects of the industry.
The focus will also be on the Eastern Cape, the province that is seeing the fastest growth in a number of areas, such as infrastructure, power generation and commercial and industrial developments.
Specialist speakers
Some of the speakers scheduled to address delegates will include Clem Sunter, Prof Jonathan Jansen and Dr Pierre Voges.
Sunter is one of the few specialists in the world on scenarios and their use in corporate strategy. He was one of the driving forces behind the South African High Road-Low Road scenarios that helped pave the way towards the country's peaceful transition to democracy.
Prof Jansen is vice chancellor and rector of the University of the Free State and president of the South African Institute of Race Relations. He holds a PhD from Stanford University, an MS degree from Cornell University and honorary Doctorates in Education from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland), Cleveland State University (USA) and the University of Vermont (USA).
When accountant Pierre Voges turned 41, he decided that he was tired of arguing about profit sharing and wearing suits and ties every day. So when the mayor of Port Elizabeth approached him to create the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), the objective of which was to regenerate the central business district, he accepted. The agency is a section 21 company with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and the Industrial Development Corporation as shareholders.
"We are very excited not only to be celebrating our 109th Congress but also to hear from these and other speakers about how we as an industry can build a sustainable South Africa," says MBSA executive director, Tumi Dlamini. "The building industry will continue to play a significant role - driving growth and job creation for the sustainability of the country."
