The new White Paper on Local Government, highlighted as a national imperative by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his 2025 State of the Nation Address, is one of the important topics on the agenda at the upcoming IMESA Conference, which takes place in East London this month. More than 650 engineers and municipal officials will convene for this event, which is hosted annually by the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA).
Now in its 88th year, the IMESA Conference and Exhibition has grown to become one of the most important events for the engineering profession, offering national and international delegates a vital opportunity to learn, share knowledge and network. Amid failing infrastructure and growing service delivery challenges in South Africa, this year’s gathering is a pivotal one, IMESA says.
President Ramaphosa noted that many of the challenges in municipalities arise from the design of our local government system. He committed to undertaking extensive consultation to develop an updated White Paper on Local Government to outline a modern and fit-for-purpose local government system. A powerful panel discussion at this year’s IMESA Conference will explore just what is needed to achieve this, explains IMESA president Geoff Tooley. “This session, which takes place on Wednesday, 29 October 2025, is expected to raise a valuable debate.”
The 2025 IMESA Conference and Exhibition is being held under the theme “Sustainable Engineering Solutions”, reflecting the global imperative to balance economic growth with environmental stewardship and social equity in the development of infrastructure. “In South Africa, where rapid urbanisation, water scarcity and energy challenges are pressing issues, sustainable engineering solutions are especially critical to enhance resilience, reduce environmental impact and promote inclusive development,” Tooley states.
He notes that this year’s IMESA Conference and Exhibition will not only showcase practical examples of sustainable design and innovation but also foster collaboration across sectors to ensure that engineering solutions serve both people and the planet.
The event also includes the biennial IMESA/CESA Excellence Awards. These are presented by the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA) and Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) to recognise outstanding achievements in municipal infrastructure. Entries have been received in three categories: “Engineering Excellence In Structures & Civils”, “Community Upliftment & Job Creation” and “Environment & Climate Change”.
“The outstanding entries showcase projects that demonstrate the best of civil engineering as a science and how engineering enhances the lives of local communities,” Tooley expands. “The judges have assessed the projects’ planning and design; construction methods; innovation and originality; how they meet social and technical challenges; and how they contribute to the well-being of communities. Factors like environmental rehabilitation, renewable energy, drought solutions, coastal initiatives for rising sea levels, pollution control, educational and technical initiatives are considered.”
The winners of the Excellence Awards will be announced at a function to open this year’s conference on Tuesday evening, 28 October 2025.
