The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) continues to embark on a process of fundamental transformation that opens a path for inclusive, broad-based development and empowerment of black-owned small, medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) on its road construction projects.
Speaking at the Annual Construction Summit held at the East London International Convention Centre yesterday (Thursday), Thandile Makwabe, SANRAL’s Acting Transformation Manager, said: “At SANRAL, we support the CIDB’s National Contractor Development Programme, which encourages the construction industry to play a more active role in facilitating meaningful empowerment for emerging contractors.”
“SANRAL has created numerous development opportunities from grade 1 to 4 Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) contractors on our road construction projects, but we are also aware that we need to play a larger role in developing CIDB Level 5 and higher contractors to meet our Transformation Policy objectives,” said Makwabe.
According to Makwabe, SANRAL has made a commitment to recognise and involve emerging contractors in its projects and, since the adoption of its Transformation Policy, the roads agency continues to ensure that it sets aside enough work for SMMEs to participate meaningfully in its projects.
SANRAL adopted its Transformation Policy in 2017 as part of its ongoing efforts to maximise the participation of contractors, suppliers and professionals from previously disadvantaged communities in all its commissioned projects.
One of the initiatives that SANRAL has started in maximising contractors’ participation is adopting a new procurement strategy to establish framework agreements. The proposed procurement strategy serves to establish and maintain framework agreements through panels for a range of categories of procurement to improve procurement turnaround times and create efficiencies within the agency’s supply chain management unit.
“This strategy will also ensure that we do not only appoint the same companies we have been working with over the years, but rather ensure we spread the opportunities to other service providers interested in participating in SANRAL contracts.”
“SANRAL will also identify black industrialists across the construction value chain to help develop them through its Black Industrialists Scheme. This includes but is not limited to suppliers of materials used in pavement structures. Another development is that the Contractor Development Programme, which we rolled out last year, has been approved by the SANRAL Board, and it is now going ahead,” added Makwabe.
SANRAL embarked on a national roadshow between October and November last year with the key intention to increase the capacity, equity ownership, sustainability, quality of work produced and improve the performance of grade 5 to 9 contractors registered with the CIDB.
Nomfuneko Matshoba has immensely benefited from SANRAL projects. Armed with an N4 Civil Engineering qualification from Ikhala College in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape, she has made strides in the male-dominated construction industry over the years. She got her first break through a SANRAL learnership programme in 2008, working on the road rehabilitation project between Komani and Madeira. Through her company, she also participated in a consortium with other women emerging contractors on one of SANRAL’s community development projects in Whittlesea in 2015.
A mother of two, Matshoba has participated in various training opportunities offered by SANRAL. “I stand here today to attest that I would not have been where I am today if it were not through SANRAL’s assistance. SANRAL continues to provide many training opportunities for women contractors. I implore all of you to take part in these training programmes. In the construction industry, it is important that you equip yourself with skills such as tender documentation, understanding procurement processes, tendering, and costing,” said Matshoba.
SANRAL has elevated Transformation to form part of its strategic pillars – Roads, Road Safety, Mobility and Stakeholder – to accelerate its efforts towards realising a more inclusive construction sector that will see meaningful participation by targeted enterprises owned by designated groups, including women, youth, people with disabilities, military veterans and previously marginalised individuals on its road infrastructure projects.
