FILE PHOTO: cidb's CEO, Bongani Dladla during the launch of the BUILD Programme. PICTURE: Supplied
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0 JOHANNESBURG: Developed in partnership with the University of Johannesburg, the CCM is designed to give emerging and developing contractors.
The Construction Industry Development Board (cidb) has launched its new Certificate in Construction Management (CCM) Programme in the Free State, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, marking the first phase of a national rollout aimed at strengthening contractor skills across South Africa.
Developed in partnership with the University of Johannesburg, the CCM is designed to give emerging and developing contractors, as well as construction professionals, the business, financial and leadership skills needed to run projects effectively – not just the technical know-how the sector has traditionally emphasised.
The initiative responds to a persistent industry gap: while infrastructure delivery depends on technically competent contractors, many small and developing firms lack the management skills to run sustainable businesses. Roads, schools, hospitals and water infrastructure all depend on a construction sector capable of delivering efficiently, and the industry remains one of the country’s largest sources of employment.
cidb Chief Executive Officer Bongani Dladla described the CCM as a flagship contractor development programme that will help emerging firms deliver quality infrastructure, build sustainable businesses, and participate more fully in South Africa’s infrastructure economy. He said investing in contractor capability was ultimately an investment in the country’s long-term infrastructure delivery.
Dladla confirmed that the three-province launch is only the beginning, with cidb committed to extending the programme nationally so that contractors across South Africa can access a recognised qualification that builds both technical and business capacity.
University of Johannesburg’s Professor Clinton Aigbavboa echoed this, framing the CCM as more than a qualification – a deliberate investment in the future of the construction industry. He said the collaboration between academia and industry was central to developing the next generation of construction leaders, combining academic rigour with practical, industry-relevant knowledge. As the programme scales up nationally, Aigbavboa said it has the potential to transform not just individual businesses, but the communities that rely on the infrastructure they deliver.
The CCM forms part of cidb’s broader B.U.I.L.D Programme, its flagship initiative to build contractor capacity and support sustainable growth across the construction sector. cidb is a Schedule 3A public entity established under the CIDB Act of 2000, mandated to drive efficient infrastructure delivery and support the development of the emerging contractor sector.
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