From participation to ownership: what women in Africa need to win in construction
by Sokhu Sibiya
For decades, the story of women in construction has been told through the language of access: getting women into the industry, training them, recognising them and creating opportunities to participate. South Africa may now be entering a more consequential phase of that conversation. At the 2026 Empowerment and Recognition of Women in Construction (ERWIC) Awards, the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb) celebrated women delivering projects across housing, healthcare, roads, engineering, design and construction.
But beneath the awards was a harder question: what happens when recognition is no longer the goal, but ownership is? The foundation is there; the South African government has reaffirmed a R300 million fund for women-owned construction companies and entries for the ERWIC awards
have doubled to 160 in two years, a sign that funds and the women are available. The challenge is ensuring women have the access to projects, capital and networks to turn that opportunity into lasting businesses.
The awards were held during Women’s Month, 70 years after 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings against the pass laws. Three decades after 9 August was formally declared a day to honour that history, another generation of women is confronting a different set of barriers—not the right to enter the economy, but the right to compete within it and benefit from it.
The construction sector is one of the places where that distinction matters. Women can be present without having power. They can be trained without winning contracts. They can own businesses without having sufficient access to capital or a pipeline of projects. That is why the next phase of transformation cannot simply be about getting more women through the door.
For cidb CEO Bongani Dladla, empowerment has to become tangible. He described it not as a slogan, but as a project delivered, a contract signed and a team inspired.
For Dr Luyanda Ngomane, a South African construction and built-environment professional, that means changing the architecture of opportunity itself.
Q&A: Dr Luyanda Ngomane; founder of Chuma InfraWorx
Africa.com: What needs to change for women to move beyond participation?
Dr Luyanda Ngomane: Targeted procurement would be one of the most important interventions. We need to ring-fence a pipeline of projects specifically for women in the built environment and appoint women-led professional teams to deliver them from beginning to end. That includes quantity surveyors, architects, civil and structural engineers, electrical and mechanical engineers and women contractors. The point is not simply to give women a place on
a project. It is to give them meaningful responsibility, experience and the opportunity to build businesses.
Africa.com: Does access to finance remain a critical piece of the puzzle?
Dr Ngomane: Yes. Dedicated micro-grant initiatives could give women the financial resources to start, sustain and expand their businesses. The objective should be to help women move beyond participation into business growth, project ownership and ultimately leadership.
Africa.com: What role should established companies play?
Dr Ngomane: Sponsorship and networking programmes can connect women with experienced leaders and established companies such as Balwin, Broll, Tricolt and Growthpoint. These relationships can provide mentorship, knowledge-sharing, procurement networks and access to opportunities that are difficult to build alone.
Africa.com: How do we know whether transformation is actually happening?
Dr Ngomane: We need measurable industry benchmarks for women’s participation in projects, procurement, leadership and business ownership. Visibility is important, but measurement creates accountability. What gets measured can be tracked, improved and held accountable.
Africa.com: Is there value in looking beyond South Africa?
Dr Ngomane: Absolutely. International learning journeys could expose women to examples of women leading major construction and infrastructure projects in countries such as China, Dubai and Austria. China, for example, has implemented initiatives aimed at increasing women’s participation in infrastructure, with women-led teams contributing to major projects including bridges and public transport systems. The ERWIC Awards provide evidence that the talent already exists. The women being recognised are not waiting to prove that they can contribute. They are delivering projects. The bigger question is whether the industry will give them enough opportunities to scale.
The women who marched 70 years ago were demanding access to a different South Africa. The women building it today are asking a different question: Will they be given the opportunity to own a meaningful share of what they build?
That is where the next chapter of transformation begins.
