Outgoing electricity control body flexed its power in showdown with Eskom

Go-ahead for controversial route scuppers move to create conservation area

Good staff needed.

In less than a generation the country may not be able to maintain its infrastructure'

Group Five Building, the construction arm of the listed broad-based infrastructure company, has been awarded five construction and renovation contracts to the value of R323.4 million.

Paul Le Sueur, the managing director of Group Five Building, said yesterday the contracts would be undertaken over the next 15 months in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The projects involve the construction of a R14.3 million Honda South Africa head office and warehouse in Midrand; a R34.1 million head office for 3M South Africa in Woodmead in Sandton; the R30 million refurbishment of an office building at 90 Rivonia Road, opposite Sandton City, on behalf of Standard Bank Properties; the R75 million extension and refurbishment of the Discovery Health building in Sandton; and the R170 million construction of the Lagoon Beach Hotel and apartment complex comprising 292 units in Milnerton Beach in the Western Cape.  

Le Sueur said the new Honda South Africa head office and warehouse contract was started in August and would be completed by the end of this year.

The 3M South Africa head office contract also started in August but would only be completed in March.

The refurbishment and restoration of 90 Rivonia Road, which comprises offices spread over six floors with an area of 10 000m2, started at the beginning of last month and would be completed at the end of January.

The contract for extension and refurbishment of the Discovery Health building started last month and would be completed in October.

Le Sueur said Group Five Building started with the Lagoon Beach project in September and it would be completed by the end of next year.

Group Five stock closed 5c lower to end at R7.55 on the JSE Securities Exchange yesterday.

Industry hoping for loosening of grip of strong rand

THE building industry has blamed high price increases over the past year mainly on building material price hikes, some of which far exceed inflation.

A Cape Town trade mission to Angola has found that there are massive opportunities for local companies in the construction and manufacturing business.

Angola's economy has been destroyed by civil war for over than two decades and now is in a re-building phase.

Chris Nissen, president of the Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, led the delegation of businessmen.

"The mission found that the urgent need was for houses, clinics and schools ... and this has opened up opportunities for local builders as well as suppliers of products like paint and building materials." 

Angola, which uses the US dollar in most of its business transactions, was concentrating on rebuilding the country's infrastructure, Nissen said.

"The delegates are planning more trips to forge partnerships and joint ventures with Angolan firms," he said.

Interest in Angola was confirmed by a chamber waiting list of some 20 delegates interested in follow-up trade missions. - 

Infrastructure is being run down.

South Africa is boosting spending on roads, railways and ports in a bid to get business moving after a decade of fiscal austerity.