Top Empowerment 21st Edition

Page 127

CONSTRUCTION | SECTOR OVERVIEW

In a construction index compiled

implementation of this plan, which

on behalf of Afrimat, economist Dr.

is closely aligned with the ambitious

Roelof Botha commented on the

R340-billion infrastructure plan,”

way forward after the pandemic and

added Dr. Botha.

social unrest : “...all eyes will now be on the government’s Recovery and Reconstruction Plan, which has been rather slow out of the starting blocks. The new Minister of Finance recently summed up the sentiment in the industry by stating that there should be less debate around economic

EMPLOYMENT The construction sector employed 12 000 less people in June 2021, compared to the same time in the previous year, a decrease of 2.5%. The number of full-time employees fell by 16 000, but part-time

growth and more action.”

employees increased by 4000 (6.7%)

Dr. Botha was reflecting on the

due to decreases in employment

mixed-bag of results for the industry, in the second quarter of 2021, which has been a relief, relative to where it was in the previous year, due to lockdowns instituted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundations of the industry were shaken, contracting 16.5% in 2020, with 259 118 jobs lost at the end of the third quarter of that year, in comparison to the same reporting period in 2019. Although the construction industry’s contribution to GDP decreased by 0.5% from the second quarter quarter (over R110-billion contribution), the value of building plans passed rose 3.5% year-on-year in October, and the value of buildings completed also went up by 11%. “Hopefully, further relaxation of lockdown regulations and the tax bonanza that has been reaped on the back of record mining sector profits will contribute to speedier

for the same period. “This was mainly

engineering, building completion

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE SYMPOSIUM SOUTH AFRICA 2021 (SIDSSA)

and building installation,” read Stats

The Sustainable Infrastructure

SA’s quarterly employment statistics

Symposium South Africa was

report for June 2021.

launched in 2020, where 62 projects

in the building of complete constructions or parts thereof, civil

were presented, with R340-billion in Total gross earnings received by

spending commitments coming from

these employees was just shy of

the private sector. The report from

R23-billion in June, 27% more than

the first edition of the symposium

in the previous year. Basic salary/

highlighted the breadth of the

wages were also up, by 24.8%.

government’s vision for this public-

Bonus and overtime payments saw

private partnership. At the time of

the biggest leap, up by 69.3%.

its release 272 projects were being evaluated, with a total investment

476 000 employed 412 000 full-time employees 64 000 part-time employees Over R28-billion in total gross earnings paid to employees Over R26-billion in basic salary/wage payments Just under R1.9-billion in bonus and overtime payments

2 1 ST E D I T I O N

value of R2.3-trillion. The funding gap was sitting at R502-billion, with a potential to create 1.8 million jobs. The 2021 edition was held on the 6 and 7th of October. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: • 55 projects presented • R595-billion investment value • R441-billion funding gap • 538 500 potential employment opportunities

IMPUMELELO TOP EMPOWERMENT

127


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.