The implementation of the ringfencing of 40% procurement projects for women, the reduction of red tape, restructuring of the subcontracts conditions, and bias in tender processes where competent women are overlooked while the connected are often awarded tenders, are some of the first challenges to be tackled by the recently launched She Builds Advisory Body, in KwaZulu-Natal.

On Tuesday, Public Works and Infrastructure Development MEC Martin Meyer and Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli launched the first-of-its-kind She Builds Advisory Body to deal with challenges affecting women in the construction sector.

The She Builds Advisory Body will advise the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure in KZN, as well as the Office of the MEC, on how to open up the construction industry and increase the participation of women. 

Tholie Cibane, chairperson of the South African Women in Construction, KZN Chapter, and one of the founding members of She Builds Advisory Body, stated that they will look at coordinating skills, capacitation, and procurement as their first task. 

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“Going forward, we will be looking at the Procurement Act, which allows departments and supply chain management units to ringfence projects for women. We want part of that policy, which is 40% for women, and we want to see it happen. So we are going to sit down and look at the ways to ensure that whatever approaches are put in place for this 40%, as per the Procurement Act, are actioned,” she stated.

“If you look at the budget, for example, of the particular departments and the province, as far as construction and infrastructure is concerned, it must be seen and be in the value chain, starting with supply to subcontracting and everything that is part of the ecosystem. We want to participate there so that this 40% target is achieved.”  

She stated that it is an open secret that in some instances, people who are capable get left behind, and those who are connected often get opportunities. 

“We want to see the decrease. We want to look at the statistics. The MEC (Meyer) stated that they are going to track, and the premier said that they are going to report to the public. So, we want to see that recorded and communicated, that we are indeed achieving the 40%, and we must also see the impact. We want transparency, recording, and reports that are not just on paper but are impactful and witnessed,” Cibane said.

She highlighted that many women-owned businesses have died in the subcontracting phase, and this was because for any start-up company in construction, opportunities, in most cases, are in subcontracting.

Cibane added that the problem with subcontracting is that the terms of the contract are often dictated by the main contractor.

“What we have experienced as women is that, in some cases, we negotiate, and there are many subcontractors out there. So, if they are not happy with your counter-offers, and then you can be dropped just like that, and lose the opportunity,” she said.

She added that most women contractors find themselves in unfavourable contracting situations, seeking to gain experience and do some work. Some would mention that they are in a contract because they want the experience to enhance their profiles in construction and make it easier to secure more opportunities.

“What we have found here is that if there is an issue, especially with the rates, which are normally dictated by the contractors, these rates are always at the detriment of subcontractors, and not only that, even in terms of supply. Some would also dictate that they are going to supply, and in that process, the pricing is also at the detriment of the subcontractors. In some cases, you find that the money that subcontractors would have received to apply for a better rating at CIBD (Construction Industry Development Board) is often not received,” Cibane said.

The money, for example, for the supply is always on the side of the contractors, as they are the ones providing materials. So, there is the issue of the materials and rates in some cases.

“When they are doing the work, for example, building a project, and there is equipment that is used to bring the supplies, such as blocks, it is still the supplier who will be in charge of when the subcontractor gets the materials. Sometimes they are on site from 7am, and they will wait for two hours for the cherry picker to come and give them the bricks or blocks.

“The thing is, once your team is on site and has been sitting there for two hours, you, as the subcontractor, are responsible for that, and you are going to pay them, and yet they are not doing any work. So that is where the issue of subcontracting is a problem,” Cibane said. 

“Some contractors don’t give you time to do all your calculations every day, so that as you progress with the work, you know exactly what is happening. We are hoping that we can go back to the drawing board and dig into the subcontracts to see to it that they are structured in a way that is supporting of the subcontractors.” 

On finance, she said, they will approach the National Treasury, with some aspects of the Public Finance Management Act, to determine how women can be assisted so that they are financially stable, and rated at a level where they can easily get finance.

According to Cibane, She Builds Advisory Body members do not draw any form of remuneration; they are there to advance the interests of women in the sector.

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MEC Meyer said that the department is proud and passionate about She Builds, and hailed women contractors for finishing their contracts on time and within budget. 

He highlighted some financing barriers, saying: “I feel very strongly the need to sit down with our commercial banks, to see where these blockages and red tape are on their side, to make sure that commercial banks work with us on this road to women’s empowerment.

“We also see this (financial barriers) where we are selling properties that young black entrepreneurs are struggling to get loans from the banks, and we really want to engage with the banks to see how we, as the government, can partner with the banks to ensure that everybody gets these opportunities, including women in the province, to participate in this sector,” the MEC said.

Meyer also raised a concern that only 11% of women are represented in the construction and built environment. He said he hopes to double this percentage by the end of his term.

“We do know that there is legislation that needs to be changed, and She Builds will report to us. We are engaging with Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson because legislation comes from the national government. We have a very good relationship with him as a province. Nationally, we will also engage with the National Council of Provinces, which represents us as provinces nationally,” Meyer said.

Premier Ntuli described She Builds Advisory Body as a brave initiative that signifies a transformative stance in the KZN government’s pursuit of gender inclusivity, equality, empowerment, and leadership in the construction and built environment sector. 

“If we want to see the construction and built sector prosper, we need to give opportunities to women, and the excellent results will be there for us to witness and behold. As the provincial government of unity, we fully support the formation of the She Builds Advisory Body,” Ntuli said.

He also highlighted that good things are happening in KZN, mentioning the matric pass rate, Public Works projects, investor confidence, and decreasing crime rate every quarter.

Vikashnee Govender, the executive director at Master Builders KZN, stated that many women constructors struggle to access finance, guarantees, and working capital, making it difficult to compete for larger projects or to survive late payments. 

gcwalisile.khanyile@inl.co.za

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