The long-awaited and keenly anticipated Totally Concrete and African Construction Expos kicked off in style on 12 May at the Sandton Convention Centre. Co-located with the Coatings for Africa Conference and Expo, the centre was a hive of activity with exhibitors racing to have their stands erected and ready for visitors, and delegates having a hard time deciding which of the four parallel seminar tracks were most relevant to their needs – and regretting that they could not be in more than one place at a time.
The seminar programme included the economics of affordable housing; designing and building underground structures and the latest technologies for concrete in mining; a workshop on design of concrete pavement structures and a look at new decorative finishes and coatings.
The opening session – Architecture, urbanisation and innovation matrix in Africa – sought solutions for the burgeoning urbanisation of sub-Saharan Africa, which is showing growth of 3.6% annually. Africa’s urbanisation is such that, by 2030, it will cease to be a rural continent and will bring with it the need for housing and infrastructure of every kind.
Against this background, distinguished speakers, including the Minister of Public Works, the Honourable Thembelani Thulas Nxesi, put forward various proposals and solutions to deal with this problem. Joe Osae-Addo CEO of Constructs LCC of Ghana discussed ways to use concrete efficiently and sustainably to meet urbanisation needs, and Hennie Botes CEO of Moladi Construction impressed delegates with his innovative construction system and its potential to help solve the housing backlogs common in many countries on the African continent.
It was during the lunch and tea breaks that the more subtle value of this unique event became clear, with delegates from all over Africa and Europe networking, exchanging views and building the contacts that will be of inestimable value to them in using concrete to shape the continent’s future.
There is still time to be part of this exciting and timely experience with two more days of experts discussing all aspects of concrete technology and construction – and hundreds of exhibitors showcasing their latest offerings.
Keep an eye on www.Concrete.TV for all the videos of the event.
