This year has turned out to be one of the toughest the industry has faced. Many of the contributors like the South African economy, policy certainty, capacity of large state-owned enterprises to spend and USA tariffs are out of our hands. Despite this we continue to try and influence wherever possible to get things back on track. We should continue to persevere as there are many stakeholders in government, our industry, and labour who are working hard to stabilize the industry.
Despite the enormous difficulties out there our industry continues to produce outstanding work, demonstrating its capability and expertise.
This year we had 74 entries reflecting steel as the material of choice and a signal that we have an industry to be proud of. Steel structures of all types are on display due to the all-round efficiency and sustainability of the material, it’s no wonder steel is being used more and more. This made judging an uplifting and challenging experience which is something we all need.
The broad range of projects from residential houses to commercial projects, warehouses, factories, and refurbishment were most encouraging.
This year a number of projects displayed characteristics of an exceptional industry. They showed innovation in every process with the integration of design, detailing, fabrication and erection using modern CNC equipment and software which our industry has invested in so heavily.
The SAISC is passionate about training our next generation so we can continue to take advantage of opportunities in South and Southern Africa. We would like to see the industry working harder on integration and competitiveness as displayed by our winning entries.
I would like to thank the entrants which have made this event possible, the judges and the SAISC support team.
This year will be recorded as another one of enormous challenge for our industry but as always we show that we are indeed men and women of steel. I would like to congratulate the winners and encourage our members to continue to participate and grow our industry into the future.
