EVENTS
KZN Expo builds
capacity for pros
Great strides were taken towards capacity building in KwaZulu-
Natal’s construction sector when Durban hosted the second
annual KZN Construction Expo.
By Ntsako Khosa | Photos by dmg events
H
eld from 7 to 8 February at the
Durban Exhibition centre, the expo
welcomed over 2 000 built
environment professionals who were there
to network with more than 60 exhibiting
brands and 27 industry experts presenting
training workshops and interactive
demonstrations.
DAY 1
Packed and rearing to go
Kicking things off was The Knowledge
Lounge training programme hosted by
national director of the Electrical
Contractors Association (ECA), Mark Mfikoe.
The programme addressed critical issues
such as small, medium and micro-sized
enterprises (SMMEs) development and how
construction professionals can access
government programmes.
Training programmes, such as
Architectural Essential Corner, Knowledge
Lounge and Contractors Corner, ran
simultaneously hosted by various
associations and multinational companies.
Continuous Professional Development
(CPD) points were up for grabs for those
who attended the Architectural
Essentials Corner.
Architectural Essentials Corner
Hosted by the South African Institute of
Building Design, national president, Videsh
Boodu started off and dug into the approval
of building applications and the completion
certificate. Vaughan Harris from the BIM
Institute followed and expanded in building
information modelling (BIM) for
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APRIL 2018
RESIDENTIAL // COMMERCIAL // INDUSTRIAL
architectural professionals emphasising,
“we don’t draw lines on computers anymore”.
Architectural activist and transformation
visionary, Dhanashwar Basdew, discussed
the recognition of prior learning in
architecture by contextualising why it is
important to redress past imbalances, the
cycle of poverty and inequality perpetuated
through the built environment in South
Africa. To finish proceedings for the corner,
a panel discussion was held unpacking
Basdew’s presentation.
The KZN Construction Expo, hosted by
dmg events was held at the Durban
Exhibition Centre from 7 to 8 February.
Knowledge Lounge
After Mfikoe’s talk, Clifford Human, business
development executive at Construction
Computer Software (CCS) discussed
achieving improved cost efficiencies in the
complete construction project life cycle.
Saniflo inland regional operations manager,
Justin Frank, then took the podium
highlighting Saniflo benefits as an
integrated plumbing solution for the
building industry. A senior representative
from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of
Public Works was next to share the Public
Works programmes for the industry. SMME
development was discussed by a senior
representative from the Durban Chamber of
Commerce and Industry. To wrap up the
training programme, Deon Pohorille,
director at SA Leak Detection, summed up
pipe rehabilitation and leak detection.
Expo offerings included Architectural
Essentials Corner, Knowledge Lounge and
Contractors Corner.
Contractors Corner
Contractors Corner provided technology
transfer and hands-on-technical training for
small and medium sized contractors.
Exhibitors interacted with visitors
interested in their product offering.