Construction is South Africa’s largest industry sector and the country’s second-largest job creator. After agriculture, the construction industry is expected to be the second-largest in South Africa.
South Africa’s overall development is driven by the construction sector. It is divided into three sections, namely,
- Real estate construction: Residential and commercial construction
- Infrastructure buildings: Roads, railways, power, etc.
- Industrial construction: Oil & gas refineries, pipelines, textiles, etc.
Building a building, bridge, road, or anything else is not child’s play. It necessitates creativity, strong engineering abilities, vision, and a willingness to improve existing infrastructure conditions.
Construction companies in South Africa have transformed the face of transportation, urban infrastructure, railways, airports, and even businesses including nuclear and hydropower projects.
In the last five decades, the construction sector has grown exponentially, as has its impact on the nation’s economy.
Some of the companies in the top ten construction contractors will be known if you work in construction or are familiar with the industry.
However, there may be some surprises on the list, and you may be startled by the absence of some you might have anticipated seeing!
We have produced a list of the greatest construction companies in South Africa, and we believe that these construction companies will have a lot of opportunities for civil engineering professionals in the future.
Few of these companies are listed on South African stock exchanges and are key players in the South African construction sector. South Africa has enormous growth potential in the next years.
South Africa has recently built magnificent projects such as urban development projects, bridges, dams, industrial projects, and so on. This list also covers the names of civil engineering firms.
According to the most recent data, the construction industry has a lot of room to grow.
Without further ado, here are the top ten construction contractors in South Africa.
Best Construction Companies in South Africa
1. WBHO Construction (Pty) Ltd
WBHO Construction (Pty) Ltd is South Africa’s leading construction firm, specializing in building construction, civil engineering, roads, and earthworks.
Wilson-Holmes (Pty) Ltd, founded in 1970 by John Wilson and Brian Holmes, has a long history. Following a series of mergers, the name was changed to Wilson Bayly Holmes (Pty) Limited in 1983, and then to WBHO Construction in 1994.
WBHO Construction is now proud to be listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange, JSE, and to have an annual turnover of US $669 million.
WBHO’s driving force is a core of devoted, hands-on management specialists with decades of significant construction project expertise in southern Africa, the Middle East, and numerous Indian Ocean islands.
The offices of the corporation are strategically positioned in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, and Port Elizabeth.
2. Stefanutti Stocks
Stefanutti Stocks (Pty) Ltd is one of South Africa’s major interdisciplinary construction companies, with R7 billion in yearly sales and over 9,000 employees.
The firm completes infrastructure development projects for governments, municipal governments, mining companies, huge corporations, financial institutions, and large property developers.
Stefanutti Stocks is active in a variety of industries, including highways and earthworks, structures, mining services, interior fit-out, mechanical, electrical, and power, and construction and building.
The South African Construction Industry Development Board has assigned the company a Grade 9 classification, granting it limitless tender capability.
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3. Motheo Construction
Dr Thandi Ndlovu founded the Motheo Construction Group in 1997, and it has grown into one of South Africa’s premier, primarily black female-owned construction companies over the course of its 21-year history.
Motheo Construction, a leading provider of social housing in the country, has expanded organically by reinvesting its earnings to fund the firm’s expansion, and the company has supplied about 1.5 per cent of all social housing produced and/or constructed in South Africa since its inception.
Currently, the company is registered with the CIDB as a level 9 GBPE and a level 9 CEPE. Motheo has been a member of the NHBRC since its founding and is still in good standing.
Motheo is a founding member and prominent role player in SAWIC, South African Women In Construction, with an annual turnover of US $409 million, thanks to Dr. Ndlovu’s involvement.
4. Basil Read Construction
Basil Read is a South African construction company that has been in business since the early 1950s. They work in a range of industries, such as infrastructure, commercial property development, and asset management.
The company has expanded abroad and is now listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. They have recently collaborated with a number of state-owned firms to construct infrastructure and sustainable energy projects across the African continent.
Furthermore, with sales of 370 million USD, Basil read employs approximately 5000 employees in 40 countries on five continents.
5. Group Five
It is a renowned African construction firm focused on the development of infrastructure and engineering solutions. Since its inception in 1974, the company has employed over 9,000 individuals.
Its headquarters are in South Africa, but it serves clients from all around Africa and Europe.
Group Five has also opened offices in the United States and Russia. It is also one of the leading construction companies in Gauteng.
Group Five is responsible for the development of the real estate, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
Its capabilities include construction, project development, and investment. This organization also performs maintenance and provides construction and manufacturing products.
Steel and fibre cement goods are sold in the manufacturing segments, while equipment is supplied in the concession sector. The engineering department constructs real estate and infrastructure. In 2018, the group’s revenue declined from 9.96 billion to R 7.35 billion.
Its net income loss grew from R840.05 million to almost 1.36 billion. Despite operating in Europe, Group 5 has a strong presence in Sub-Saharan Africa.
It employs approximately 9,000 people and has worked on projects in 26 countries.
6. Raubex Construction
Raubex takes pride in being a world-class heavy construction sector enterprise with an emphasis on infrastructure development that operates across Africa.
The company was formed in 1974 by the legend Koos Raubenheimer and has progressively expanded into a construction leader.
Raubex began expanding its African foothold in the mid-1990s, securing projects in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zambia.
With a track record of over 39 years of consistent profitability, Raubex now produces roughly 10% of its business outside of South Africa.
Akasia Road Surfacing, Aliwal Dolorite Quarry, B&E International, Canyon Rock Quarries, Conspec, Milling Techniks, National Asphalt, Queens Town Quarry, Space Construction, SPH Kundalila, ThabaBosiu Construction, and Zamori Construction are some of the projects in which the company has been involved.
7. Aveng Group
Aveng Limited is one of South Africa’s biggest construction companies, operating through its subsidiaries Aveng Grinaker-LTA, McConnell Dowell, Aveng Manufacturing, Aveng Steel, Aveng Moolmans, and Aveng Capital Partners.
Aveng Grinaker-LTA provides construction and engineering services to clients in South Africa, Mozambique, and Mauritius, while McConnell Dowell provides engineering, construction, and maintenance services.
Aveng Steel manufactures and sells steel to domestic and international markets, whereas Aveng Manufacturing manufactures and sells construction products. Aveng Capital Partners is Aveng’s investing and financing arm.
Aveng Limited is a company that trades on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
8. Murray & Roberts
Murray & Roberts, one of the top construction companies in South Africa, is a worldwide engineering, procurement, and project management firm located in Cape Town.
It is also one of the best international contractors in the globe. They have completed projects for Eskom, Transnet, TransnetBW, and Telkom. For starters, since its inception in 1947, the organization has been responsible for many of Africa’s most iconic structures.
Murray & Roberts had an R3.5 billion turnover and employed 40,000 people internationally in 2000.
They celebrated their 70th anniversary in 2017, and in 2018, they crossed R10 billion in revenue for the first time by completing over 22 million hours of construction work around the world.
9. concor
Concor (previously Murray & Roberts Construction) is a multi-divisional infrastructure and services construction firm with key expertise in infrastructure, building, mining, and property development.
The company has eight business areas and is considered one of the largest participants in the construction sectors of South and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Concor has completed iconic infrastructure projects throughout South Africa, including the Bloukrans Bridge in the Eastern Cape, the Huguenot Tunnel and Hugo’s River Viaduct in the Western Cape, the Reservoir for the Ingula Power Station in Kwa-Zulu Natal, and the Carlton Centre, ABSA Towers, Melrose Arch, the Gautrain, and Menlyn Shopping Centre in Gauteng.
10. WK Construction
WK Construction is one of South Africa’s largest construction companies, with over 40 years of experience in the construction and engineering industries.
WJM Construction, which was formed in Cape Town in 1960, was renamed WK Construction in 1993 following a management buy-out.
WK Construction’s services include trenchless technology construction, development of township roads and infrastructure, pipeline construction, concrete structures, and crushing and screening operations.
11. Lafarge Africa Building Materials (Pty) Ltd
Lafarge Africa Building Materials (Pty) Ltd is a building materials supply and distribution firm based in Johannesburg. Cement, concrete, and bricks are examples.
Lafarge Cement South Africa (Pty) Ltd and Lafarge Cement Nigeria Limited are among the company’s subsidiaries, as are Lafarge Cement Ghana Limited, Lafarge Uganda Limited, and Lafarge Zambia Limited.
When Lafarge purchased four quarries from the South African government during apartheid negotiations, the quarries were dubbed African Quarries. After a merger with Lafarge of France, they were shortly renamed Lafarge Ten.
Lafarge Group purchased Lafarge Ten in 2000, forming Lafarge Africa Building Materials (Pty) Ltd.
Final Thoughts
After reviewing these companies, you should be in a better position to select the greatest and ideal construction companies in South Africa.
However, before you sign a contract with them, you should evaluate some other variables such as market capitalization and the important projects the firm has developed.
However, before making any decisions, it is a good idea to look at their websites and see what prior clients had to say about their devotion to completing their jobs.