The Construction Industry Institute (CII) – South Africa Chapter was officially launched last month at the University of Pretoria’s Graduate School of Technology Management.

The CII – South Africa Chapter will provide a platform for Africa-based members to undertake research and benchmark their activities, as the improvement of project management performance on capital projects is increasingly becoming a strategic focus for the public and private sectors.

The international consortium, based at the University of Texas, in Austin, in the US, boasts more than 130 engineering contractor and supplier firm members from the public and private sectors.

“The South Africa chapter will establish a platform for capital project owners, government agencies, contractors and suppliers to leverage the international CII knowledge database and processes and contribute to the international CII, offering knowledge and management skills,” said Gautrain Management Agency CEO Jack van der Merwe at the launch.

He noted that the CII was a leader in the construction industry, creating and implementing research-based knowledge to measurably improve the effectiveness and sustainability of capital facilities delivery.

Van der Merwe added that the increased business success of CII member organisations enabled participating industry leaders to achieve breakthroughs in the life-cycle value of capital facilities.

Van der Merwe said the two main challenges that would determine the focus and priorities in South Africa over the next 20 years were poverty and unemployment. He cited the Gautrain as an example of a project that was addressing these challenges highlighted in the National Development Plan.

He further pointed out that the key components for successfully mitigating these challenges included political will and commitment from government, proper funding for various government programmes and community acceptance.

The Gautrain, which was launched in Gauteng in 2010, stimulated economic growth, local and foreign investment, development and job creation, Van der Merwe added.

“The [ongoing] Gautrain design aims to restructure urban areas [and] reduce travel distances, time and cost, as well as improve citywide sustainability. It also promotes public transport, tourism and business development.”

Van der Merwe noted that socioeconomic development was one of the major cornerstones of the project, adding that the Gautrain had 21 socioeconomic development areas that covered a wide spectrum of objectives.

He further commented that the Gautrain ran 6 500 trains a month, with 12-minute headways during peak periods and 20 minute headways during off-peak periods, as well as 125 feeder and distribution Gautrain busses and a total of 10 000 parking bays at the stations.

The feasibility study on the possible expansion of the 80 km Gautrain system will be completed by January 2016. The study will assess the viability of including a link from Park station to Westgate; a link from Rhodesfield station to Boksburg; a link from Sandton station to Randburg and Honeydew; and a link from Naledi, in Soweto, to Mamelodi, in Tshwane, through either the proposed Samrand station or the existing Midrand station.

The project forms part of the Gauteng government’s new 25-year Integrated Transport Master Plan.