build, connect and do
IAN MACLEOD: What termites can teach the construction sector
Construction in South Africa has had a rough time. But there are signs of life — particularly as the sector harnesses the power of biomimicry
When my team at the Gordon Institute of Business Science’s Centre for African Markets & Management was tasked with exploring the construction industry in Africa, I thought the project would be a bit like watching cement dry. I’ve never so much as laid a brick, and everything I’d heard about the industry was dismal. But then I found an anomaly.
Even with the incessant bad news about construction in South Africa, you’d assume that each hour worked in the sector today would have a far superior return for the economy than that same hour sweated out in the mid-1900s. Not so fast. In terms of real gross value added per hour worked, construction is stagnant. ..
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
This article is free to read if you sign up or sign in.
If you have already registered or subscribed, please sign in to continue.
Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.