Please give us a brief summary on your career to date
I started in the construction industry in around 2004 where I was still at University and I was from time to time working as a trainee on a construction site at P & R Formwork who were then the Sub-contractor of Grinaker LTA. The company were involved in number of construction projects in the Western Cape in South Africa which benefited a Province a lot.
This was a founding experience that built my career to what it is today and offered me a pure interest for construction. I later after completed my Construction Project Management Degree I joined the consulting company with the name called Target Projects, appointed as a Junior Construction Project Manager and they were based in Western Cape in South Africa. This lasted only 2 years and opened so many opportunities for me.
I was then appointed by the Department of Public Works in Gauteng as a Construction Project Manager in around 2009. My role and responsibilities there was to manage and monitor so many construction projects successfully on time, within budget achieve best quality for the clients.
Give us details of a project that made an impact in your career.
There are many projects that would qualify as such given my more than 10 years experience in the construction industry. However the Construction of Terminal 2010 Cape Town International Airport in the Western Cape and Upgrading of Power Supply at Bryntirion Estate in Gauteng both in South Africa.
What was your position and duties on this project?
I was a Junior Construction Project Manager for the Construction of Terminal 2010 Cape Town Internationan Airport and I was the Project Manager for Upgrading of Power Supply at Bryntirion. Why do this these projects stand out to you?
The construction of Terminal 2010 Cape Town International Airport project won some of the awards and our Consulting Company as the Principal Agent and Project Managers did not only drive all of the advanced project features, we also worked closely with ACSA from initiation to completion by taking their business objectives through planning and design to developing this world-class project.
By forming a strategic partnership and acting as ACSA's agent we negotiated with various stakeholders and acted as a bridge across various business sectors both within ACSA and externally through suppliers and contractors. We handled the negotiation of all contracts and tenders either directly or through principal contractors depending on cost and ACSA's best interests. Finally, we assisted in financial planning over the entire scope of the project and presented that it was a bankable solution to the project’s funders.
Thousands of job opportunities were created during this construction project and significantly increased the revenue that ACSA generates from non-aviation related activities and this for me was the best experience ever and wonderful to see the success of the project on time for 2010 South African World Cup.
What were the important lessons you learnt from these projects?
For upgrading of power supply in Bryntirion Estate, I have learned that where the top Government officials are occupying you need to make your plans in advanced and continuously communicate with the clients for all the milestones you plan to perform. Failure to do that it will see your project delays and your sub-contractors being denied the access to the premises due to poor communication and not making your plans clear upfront.
Therefore, the need of the updated program and forward it to the client on time prior to the implementation of the project is quite key, and that was the case for Bryntirion Estate for upgrading of power supply project.
What were career mistakes or regrets you experienced on these projects?
Bryntirion Estate project, I had inherited the project from someone and for that I regret that I was not involved in the initial planning stages for that project and thus had to accept what someone else had already decided.
How did you overcome your regrets?
I always try to be involve as early as possible in the initial stages of the project where given the opportunity as that is the most important part of the project.
What has been the most satisfying thing for you personally about these projects?
Thousands of job opportunities were created during the construction of these projects and they were both final successfully on time, costs and to clients quality satisfactory.
Also read: This is my story - Chris Tshivhidzo
This industry is said to be one of the toughest industries , how did you manage to stay in for so long?
Well, I always get excited to see any construction site and tall cranes everywhere I go, for that I think construction is part my daily life and I also enjoy to always learn about the latest developments about construction from different countries so as to just to keep up with the knowledge.
In your opinion what are the biggest challenges facing the industry currently and how can they be overcome?
A lack of knowledge from the young professionals and the ability to learn from previous experience so that they can be able to better implement the current and future projects.
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