Since entering the low cost housing sector six months ago, Esor Civils has experienced success beyond expectation and is presently working on two government subsidised projects to provide 1 000 low cost houses in the village of Enhlangweni, in the Umzumbe municipality near Ixopo in KwaZulu-Natal, and 500 units in the village of Ezinqolweni, in the Mthimude municipality near Port Shepstone in KwaZulu-Natal. More recently, Esor Civils has secured the provision of low cost housing in Bhobhoyi, close to Port Shepstone, and is earmarked for a further project in the Umzumbe area, and has also set its sights set on the Eastern Cape.
“Low cost housing is something quite new for us and it’s working out very well,” Mark Rippon, managing director of Esor Civils, says. “We already have a diversified portfolio that includes road building, mining and township infrastructure work, water and sewerage reticulation contracts and concrete projects for government, major mining houses and the private sector. Although our move into low cost housing is at the inception stage, we’ve been very excited at these early successes and we believe there is significant potential to expand into this sector of the market. We’re proving that we’re reliable and able to deliver these projects to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.
“Low cost housing is still very much a government focus and the recent increased subsidy will see the specifications improve from the two-roomed 40 m2 dwelling with rainwater harvesting and an outhouse, that we are building at Muzumbe and Thimude, to dwellings of the same size but now plumbed and electrified and including an inside bathroom with a basic hand basin, toilet and shower. The upgraded specifications will also be applicable to the scope of the Bhobhoyi and second Muzumbe projects.”
On these projects Esor Civils has teamed up with Consulting Engineers Bigen Africa, a leading design engineering company with a strong presence in southern Africa and a growing African footprint. Bigen Africa takes responsibility for the design of the houses, provides site supervision during construction and conducts quality assurance before the houses are handed over.
On each low cost housing project, the Esor Civils team identifies local emerging sub-contractors and supports them with the procurement of materials and the provision of training, effectively equipping them with experience and marketable capabilities.
Esor Civils, a division of the Esor Group, successfully leverages its Level 3 BBBEE platform to secure tenders for public sector projects at government, provincial government and municipal levels. It also boasts the highest possible 9CE and 9GB grading from the Construction Industry Development Board. Esor Civils has a comprehensive plant inventory and employs more than 2 000 people, ranging from artisans to managers, surveyors to planners.