Architects and contractors: Get ready to unlock 2026 project wins

Source: Supplied.

Hosted at Gallagher Convention Centre, the CPD-certified, free-to-attend Big 5 Talks will span seven themes, focusing on practical solutions to infrastructure delivery, sustainability, skills development and innovation as the construction sector works to align policy ambitions with real-world project implementation.

Building on this focus, the programme places actionable insights at the centre of its agenda, with expert-led sessions addressing the realities of delivering sustainable, people-focused built environments.

In one of the sessions, Charles Nduku, President: South African Council for the Architectural Profession, will examine the growing integration of nature-based design principles into South Africa’s urban environment and the construction industry's role in delivering built spaces that support health, wellbeing and ecological resilience.

Safety, skills, infrastructure

Fellow speaker, Bongani Dladla, Chief Executive Officer: Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), will lead a critical discussion on safety, skills and capacity development in Africa’s construction sector.

The session will explore strategies to enhance safety standards and compliance across construction sites, develop workforce skills through targeted training and certification programmes, empower local talent and contractors to support large-scale infrastructure delivery and integrate technology and industry best practices to improve safety, efficiency, and productivity across the built environment value chain.

Holger Redecker, Chief Executive Officer: Maurer, will examine how structural health-monitoring and predictive maintenance extend the lifespan of critical infrastructure components and improve safety outcomes.