Process & Operations

Contaminated land is rarely a contained technical problem. A site may have a defined boundary on a map. However, its risks can change as groundwater moves, land use shifts, climate conditions become less predictable and surrounding land uses change over time.

As weather patterns evolve and climate-related risks intensify, the construction sector must rethink how it assesses flood exposure. South Africa is on the cusp of yet another unprecedented weather cycle. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) predicts a moderate-to-strong El Niño event developing between now and August 2026.

When COVID-19 emptied offices in 2020, remote work wasn't a carefully designed workplace strategy. It was an emergency response. Kitchen tables became desks, meetings moved online, and businesses adapted faster than many thought possible. In the years that followed, flexibility became a defining feature of many workplaces. But for some, the pendulum is swinging back globally once again. Amazon introduced a five-day office expectation in January 2025.

South Africa has experienced over three decades of democracy. One of the main factors determining our economic resilience will not only be growth and innovation. It will also be the safety and well-being of our workforce. Yet many companies continue to take a reactive approach to workplace safety.

Imagine a head chef in an upmarket restaurant wiping down a prep surface between services, confident it's clean. Or consider a canteen supervisor spraying down counters before the lunch rush. Both believe it’s sufficient. But is it? Visible residue and food spills are easy to spot and wipe away. However, unseen contaminants, such as bacteria, can pose a bigger risk. Those risks add up quickly when dozens or even hundreds of meals are prepared daily.

Buildings may be getting smarter, but too many control rooms still rely on yesterday’s technology. They use on-site servers, rigid architectures and a patchwork of interfaces. These systems are expensive to run and painfully slow to evolve. While many modern buildings are marketed as “smart”, much of today’s Building Management Systems (BMS) infrastructure remains rooted in ageing, server-bound control rooms.

Neural implants, which connect the human brain directly to external devices, are the leading emerging technology that global workers expect to see in the workplace by 2050, according to our new research. The study, "IWG's Work Reimagined: The Office of 2050", summarises findings from global HR leaders and employees. It highlights how rapidly advancing technologies are expected to transform the workplace over the next 25 years.

At the beginning of the year, there was cautious optimism that the construction environment, while still constrained, might at least become more predictable. However, that optimism did not last. Within weeks, the Iran conflict and disruptions to global energy markets pushed fuel prices sharply higher. The knock-on effects spread across the entire construction delivery chain. They affected plant operations, transport, materials, labour allocation and project timelines.

The Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024 is signed but not yet in force. However, the Constitutional Court is yet to rule on a challenge by the Western Cape Government, the City of Cape Town and amaBhungane. They argue that Parliament failed to facilitate reasonable public participation on material amendments, as required by section 59(1)(a) of the Constitution. That judgment is still pending.

Networks that were once little more than pipes are waking up as they prepare for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) token economy. The mobile phone in your pocket is about to get a lot smarter. That is only partly because AI apps will become the new default for search, travel and shopping. However, something bigger is coming. The network itself is waking up.