A professional, ethical and knowledgeable civil engineering community is paramount in meeting South Africa’s socioeconomic development needs.
That’s according to Vishaal Lutchman, CEO of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), who said infrastructure development holds the key to stimulating the country’s economy but must be steered by excellence in engineering.
In line with this, SAICE holds an annual awards function in recognition of industry excellence, and has announced that this year, the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) has partnered as the main awards sponsor.
“South Africa’s road network infrastructure is necessary for bolstering economic activity in terms of its provision, operations and maintenance. It is a prime example of what is possible when infrastructure is rolled out professionally,” Lutchman said.
“We have long been aligned with SANRAL in our objective of supporting a strong civil engineering sector in South Africa and are honoured to have them backing our annual awards process.”
He added that SAICE seeks to support SANRAL in projects going forward, fostering technical excellence and a partnership based on capacity building, knowledge creation and sharing. “We have a common development agenda and with the awards, showcase the value of industry collaboration.”
Promoting and acknowledging professional excellence in the sector through these awards has various objectives.
“By shining the light on our highly competent civil engineers, technicians and technologists, we hope to encourage leadership in the sector, foster entrepreneurship, and create role models for young professionals. It is also important that our young people are encouraged to seek professional development opportunities and to seek mentors to assist them on their career paths.”
The SAICE Awards are scheduled to take place on 22 October and will recognise ten outstanding individuals in the sector.
