SA Affordable Housing January - February 2020 // ISSUE: 80 | Page 13

EVENTS
OTHER CATEGORY WINNERS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
• In the Mitek Industries South Africa LSF building
category, the winner was the Protea Glen Secondary
School, constructed for the Gauteng Department of
Education. The project capitalised on the key features of
LSF building, namely: speed, thermal efficiency, acoustics
and flexibility of design.
• In the ArcelorMittal South Africa Architectural category,
the winning entry was the Peech Hotel located in
Melrose, Johannesburg. Steel was used throughout the
project to express a layered architecture of lightness, and
as a tool in the integration of built form with landscape.
• In the Industrial category, the winner’s trophy went to
the Omnia Nitro Phosphate Plant constructed for the
diversified chemicals group Omnia.
• Winner in the Global Roofing Solutions Metal Cladding
Category was a building named the 1054. The contrast of
the building’s solid exterior with a light and airy interior
succeeds in creating a welcoming and connecting space.
• In the SAISC Steel Awards Commercial Category, the
building constructed for KTM Raceworx made innovative
use of a steel frame system with cellular beams to
support the floors and accommodate HVAC and other
services.
• The Association of Steel Tube and Pipe Manufacturers of
South Africa’s (ASTPM’s) Tubular Category was won by
the structure Fourways Mall Promotions Court. As part
of the upgrade of the Fourways Mall, the new roof is
essentially a tubular structure, which is lightweight and
aesthetically pleasing.
• In the Safintra South Africa Factory and Warehouse
category, top honours went to Chilleweni Cold Storage
Solutions. Constructed in Gosforth Park Germiston, the
building’s fresh design approach has given rise to a
visually appealing industrial, fit-for-purpose industrial
building.
• The SAISC Steel Awards Bridges Category went to
the CTICC Skybridge, which connects the Cape Town
International Convention Centre with the CTICC East
Expansion. This bridge allows the two buildings to
function effectively as an integrated unit and epitomises
the CTICC’s main purpose of connecting people.
AfriBuild 2020 recognises and supports critical
need for skills development in local building sector
S
kills development is becoming an increasingly
pressing concern and an essential priority for South
Africa business at all levels. Local unemployment
rates continue to climb, with Statistics South Africa’s (Stats
SA) Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the Q2 of 2019
stating that the number of unemployed persons increased
by 455 000 to 6.7 million in Q2: 2019, compared to the first
three months of the year.
It is clear that there is an urgent need for skills transfer
and education at the artisan level, with an emphasis on fast,
but high-quality technical training. This will not only play an
important role in boosting the economy, but also create a
positive turn-around in unemployment levels.
It is here that a platform like the upcoming AfriBuild 2020
show, the new building services trade expo, can play a
strategic role. The show, which will run alongside the
continent’s only tradeshow focused on all elements of
plumbing, PlumbDrain Africa, aims to provide the local
building industry with the opportunity to deepen learning,
with a dedicated skills development area.
The show’s dedicated Skills Development Zone will be
managed by private training provider, the Artisan Training
Institute (ATI). It is exclusively earmarked to give a hands-on
demonstration of technical skills such as fitting & turning,
fabrication, welding, boilermaking, electrical &
instrumentation, as well as pneumatics, hydraulics and
electro-pneumatics.
It takes on an interactive workshop format during which
conference delegates can ask ATI’s training managers specific
www.saaffordablehousing.co.za
questions about training opportunities and career pathways
for future artisans. It also aims to fill the gap between the
demand and supply of technical skills.
According to Sean Jones, managing director of ATI, the
AfriBuild Skills Development Zone concept proved to be
highly successful at other exhibitions such as Electra Mining
and the Local Manufacturing Expo.
“The Skills Development Zone is geared at showing young
people the endless possibilities of a career in artisan training
and encouraging companies to invest in artisan training as a
solution to South Africa’s unemployment problems,” says Jones.
“We are excited to again host this highlight at AfriBuild
2020. Skills development can unlock a multitude of
opportunities in Africa’s building sector, and we look forward
to explore these opportunities with delegates,” he concludes.
In addition to this, AfriBuild 2020 puts a strong emphasis
on practical knowledge exchange, providing real-life
experience through multiple demonstration areas, and offers
two free, fit-for-purpose seminar theatres featuring expert
speakers providing business-related guidance.
AfriBuild is gearing up for its exciting launch at the
Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, 13-15 October 2020. The
trade-only expo will be a biennial event that will take place
over three days and intends to become a hands-on building
solutions show for the entire sector.
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