Civil engineering and construction group Sanyati Holdings on Tuesday said government contracts and extending operations beyond KwaZulu-Natal had boosted its order book, positioning the black economic empowerment company to achieve its forecast net profit of R53 million for the 2007-08 financial year.

The order book included a R25 million contract for civil infrastructure work in Polokwane, a R75 million road rehabilitation contract in Gamtoos, Eastern Cape, and a R1,9 billion contract for civil works on the new King Shaka International Airport in Durban.

Releasing the company’s results for the six months ended August, CEO Rick Jackson said the buoyant growth in the construction industry boded well for the firm. He said though 66% of Sanyati’s contracts came from KwaZulu-Natal, he was pleased at the inroads the company had made in Gauteng.

“The Gauteng operations are up and running with (the group’s piling subsidiary) Mega Pile’s first R2 million contract ,” said Jackson.

Gauteng accounted for 22% of Sanyati’s contracts, with the balance split among Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and Zambia.

In an effort to grow the business , Sanyati said, it had acquired Gauteng-based Ruthcon Civil Contractors and GEM Earthworks, which has operations in Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.

Net profit for the period under review doubled to R22,9 million on a 105% increase in revenue to R396,2 million — up from R192,5 million.

Cash generated from operations surged to R10,9 million from a loss of R4,5 million. Headline earnings per share increased to 8,74c from 5,73c.

Of Sanyati’s four business units, Civils Coastal was the biggest contributor to overall performance.

Revenue accumulated by C ivils C oastal was R215 million. Its performance was boosted by large-scale projects such as the R117 million tender to construct roads in Barberton, and the R52 million contract to construct a water pipeline in Umgeni, on the south coast.

The unit also stood to gain R190 million over the next 19 months after the Ilembe Consortium was awarded a R1,9 billion contract to build the R6,8bn King Shaka International Airport.

Construction on the Moses Mabhida 2010 Soccer World Cup stadium is on track

Nedbank Corporate Property Finance is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Thomas as Divisional Director Property Finance Cape and Anand Joseph as Divisional Director Property Finance KZN, effective 1 November 2007

Government and private sector infrastructure investments are expected to secure the boom in the construction and building industries until well after the 2010 soccer World Cup, according to industry leaders.

They said the government's decision to go ahead with a R400-billion infrastructure programme, an even bigger commitment by the private sector and economic growth rates well above 5% a year would buoy the industries and drive the economy.

Brian Bruce, chief executive of Murray & Roberts, predicted the boom would continue long after 2010 and well "into the teens of the 21st century".

He cautioned, however, that there might be some ups and downs in the industry during this period.

But, despite this caution, construction companies are flocking to list on the JSE's alternate exchange, which facilitates listing of small companies.

Since AltX was established almost three years ago, 14 of the 50 companies listed are related to the building and construction sector with interests in home improvements, heavy construction and building materials and fixtures.

Among the bigger groups are Esor, Sanyati Holdings, Afrimat and the Raubex Group. The total market capitalisation of these companies this week was R20.6-billion, according to an AltX spokesman.

And Stefanutti & Bressan, with annual turnover of R1.7-billion, plans to list on the JSEs' main board on Friday after raising up to R465-million by placing 35 million shares. A limited offer of a further 11.5 million shares will be offered to vendors.

The company believes that revenues will grow to R2.5-billion in 2008. In the year to February, the group earned a net profit of R67.2-million, after the cost of BEE involvement, and expects this to grow to R115-million in 2008.

The group has a 15% BEE involvement through Mowana Investments.

Chairman and co-founder of Stefanutti & Bressan, Gino Stefanutti, said the construction industry was experiencing unprecedented growth and that there was "a positive picture of long-term growth for the industry".

Last month, the FNB Civil Construction Confidence Index, compiled by the Bureau for Economic Research recorded another increase.

Cees Bruggemans, chief economist at First National Bank, said that the figure reflected "very favourable business conditions". It is reported that the industry had grown by 13% a year since 2003.

The SA Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors noted that the number of people in the construction industry had risen to 114 000 in the first quarter of this year .

But, the FNB Index found , a shortage of skilled labour was affecting construction activities and impinging on completion times. Training would have to be accelerated to contain construction costs as a result of higher wages .

Power generation, with Eskom looking at another nuclear power station, will also help keep activity high. Power generation infrastructure development will begin in earnest next year and this is a 25-year project.

Transport, water and sanitation, schools and hospitals will need to keep pace with the macro- economic growth, said Bruce.

The attractiveness of the building and construction sector has attracted an unsolicited bid for building materials supplier Iliad Africa from a consortium led by Absa Capital. Talks are continuing.

Last week Iliad said it had acquired the Gauteng-based, R220-million-a-year Thorpe Timbers . Recently, the group bought USM Building Supplies and Lumber City in Lephalale (Ellisras). The combined acquisitions should add R350-million to revenues.

South Ocean, the Johannesburg-based manufacturer of building wires, has spent R10-million on the first phase of its expansion plans by purchasing new machinery that will increase its capacity by 10%.

The company, which was listed in February, has begun the second phase of expansion at a cost of R30-million for new machinery, buildings and working capital, which will add 15% to capacity.

The company recently acquired Radiant Lighting for R485-million, which expands its operations into decorative lighting, lamps and bulbs and electrical products.

Black empowerment group Afrimat announced two weeks ago that it had purchased two quarries and a concrete block-and-brick factory in KwaZulu-Natal, its second acquisition since listing in November. This brings its number of quarries to 22 and brick factories to nine.

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A construction deal worth R210-million for the first phase of Beacon Bay's Triple Point development was handed over to JSE-listed engineering giant Group Five on Thursday.

The contract that will kick off in August includes the construction of 200 one, two and three bedroom apartments.

Later phases of the R500-million development will include retail and office space as well as a four-star hotel expected to be built next year.

Novate Properties' strategic development manager, Grant Wheatley, said the project's go-ahead had been reached after the first building of 70 apartments had sold out.

The second tranche of 65 apartments has now been released.

"We believe Group Five's appointment significantly reduces the risk of this project to us, the developers, as well as to our investors in the project," said Wheatley.

Managing director for Group Five Housing Frank Enslin said his team was delighted to be working on the "ambitious project which is similar to others Group Five has successfully completed, amongst these, St Michaels on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast".

Enslin said that contracts director for St Michaels Eric Higgitt would lead the construction team at Triple Point. "Eric lived in East London for almost 10 years and attended Selborne College before leaving for Johannesburg, where he joined Group Five as a bursary student. He has approximately 20 years' experience in the field of upmarket residential construction," he said.

Wheatley also announced that Group Five would run a training programme in East London and offer accredited training opportunities to unskilled and unemployed people in the city.

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SA Retail reports a 9.2 percent growth to 77.7 cents in distributable earnings for the year ended March

SA Retail today reported distributable earnings for the 12 months to March 31 of 77,7 cents per linked unit - a 9,2% growth over the 71,2 cents for the 12 months to March 06

Two new shopping centres valued at R95m each are being opened in Kabokweni, in White River, and in Nquthu, in KwaZulu-Natal.