I’ve been working as an engineer in our country for 11 years, briefly at Eskom, then at an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm. 

This has been very rewarding. Starting as an engineer-in-training at Proconics, I’ve been systematically exposed to bigger and bigger problem statements, and feel I have been afforded opportunities that are reserved for much older and more experienced engineers in the more mature economies around the world. I’ve quickly progressed through the ranks into senior engineer, and received valuable training, experience and exposure.

Proconics executes multiple projects yearly, traditionally in the petrochemicals sector, but since 2018, our target market extended to renewables and power generation. The exposure to many different sectors gave me the opportunity to complete engineering designs for various clients. The one thing that stood out in all the South African industries, was that while they are technically unique, in many ways the non-technical issues confronting them are identical. And how we overcome that challenge is remarkably similar across our different sectors. 

The South African environment, with our special history, has shaped industry, clients, contractors and suppliers. The unique climate and constraints that we have to work with in South Africa, all too often, has shaped our engineers to be creative and innovative in finding solutions to problems the industries face. As a country we are remote; at the tip of a very long supply chain and challenged geographically as much as we were politically. We are part of a regional economy that is tiny compared to many of the industrial hubs in the rest of the world. Self-reliance is thrust upon us.

In my experience we are often faced with challenges created by how problems were solved in isolation 40 years ago. That has a major impact on how we need to approach interacting with that system today. Capital, maintenance and in-depth understanding of our local conditions is vital when developing a practical solution. As an example, control systems or switchgear replacements must be undertaken with a special appreciation of local skills, supply chains, lack of documentation and support, poor maintenance and a host of real engineering and operational constraints. Engineering teams taking the time and effort to analyse failing components and developing change-over plans with retro-fit kits, can often deliver superior solutions appropriate to our market conditions. A more traditional and obvious rip-out and replace is frequently not the best solution to meeting the objectives facing our industry.

Which brings me to my point. There are major refurbishments and life extensions planned for aging industry in South Africa. We have control system and switchgear replacements that must happen and will be advertised in the next few months by industry. Many of them will be tailored towards the major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), with their heads and hearts in Europe or the East. A sliver of the project will be executed by South Africans – and that only because at most 30% local content will be legislated by policy intervention. 

It is my contention that this state of affairs is not in the best interest of the country. And the solution is not policy, but pragmatism and the approach we must take. The nature of how the scope is authored, how it will be adjudicated and how it is envisioned to be executed is unnecessarily slanted to prevent our local service industry from stepping up to the plate. The engineering work will be outsourced to the OEM’s engineering offices internationally. This not only has the effect of money flowing out of the country, but also robs our local engineering industry of the life blood required to build and maintain the expertise within our South African engineering corps. 

In the media we often hear that when the country faces major problems, we have to call in international companies to solve our problems; but do they really understand the limitations that the country faces and where and how the problems originated? The socio-economic, political and geographic context in South Africa cannot be explained in a simple works-information or scope, it is ingrained in the problem-solving skills of our engineers.

Proconics has executed multiple system replacements for Sasol and Eskom and is currently delivering in exactly this manner. Reverse engineering and intimate understanding of the local landscape allows us to propose alternative solutions and execution methodologies to vanilla multinational OEM led projects. This keeps skills and opportunities local, and mobilises a local supply chain to deliver superior solutions appropriate for our conditions. Often at significantly lower price points. 

Proconics recently entered a local engineering and project partnership with Sasol. This is a recognition that local context is appropriate and best suited to solving many of the problems facing the most sophisticated industrial operators in South Africa. 

South Africa might not have the highest ranked universities in the world, or the best internship programmes, or the biggest market. But our local context places demands on us that breeds a special kind of magic. We have the “Africanacity” as ABSA calls it. We have a grit, creativity and can-do attitude to solving problems in context. 

This is a call to industries and clients not to wait for policy or political change. That may take too long, and it will come too late. Change your approach. Use South African engineers and let us solve your South African problems with our flavour.

Marita van den Bergh is an experienced Control and Instrumentation Engineer by trade. She studied Computer Engineering from the University of Pretoria and graduated with distinction in 2010. She also completed her MBA at GIBS (UP) in 2019, focusing on tacit knowledge transfer in professional services firms.