About George Harris
I started my incredible journey at Leads 2 Business in 2006. I am the Content Director, custodian of an amazing research team responsible for unearthing hidden gems of information.
I started my incredible journey at Leads 2 Business in 2006. I am the Content Director, custodian of an amazing research team responsible for unearthing hidden gems of information.
KZN Construction Expo
Leads 2 Business exhibited at the KZN Construction Expo held at the Durban Exhibition Centre over the last couple of days.
It was a great opportunity to meet and interact with a variety of industry related companies.
The KZN Construction Expo is the only multi-disciplinary show for Kwazulu-Natal’s built environment focusing on buyer and seller engagements through free-to-attend content and face-to-face interactions under one roof.
With thousands of attendees ranging from small contractors through to architects, quantity surveyors, property developers, government and industry associations this is an unprecedented opportunity to access KZN’s building and construction value chain from project owner to contractor in a unique setting allowing for prestigious visibility, interactive networking and on-site demonstrations.
Recent developments in Kwazulu-Natal include R576 million being set aside by the eThekwini Municipality for infrastructure repair. KZN’s construction sector currently contributes 4.5% to the provincial GDP on an annual basis and the province has allocated a budget of R350 million to award tenders for maintenance, storm damage, school fencing programme, water and sanitation, repairs and renovations to emerging contractors.
Sources:
https://www.kzn-construction.co.za/
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I started my incredible journey at Leads 2 Business in 2006. I am the Content Director, custodian of an amazing research team responsible for unearthing hidden gems of information.
According to Wikipedia, a Consulting Firm is “A business of one or more experts (Consultants) that provides professional advice to an individual or an organisation for a fee. The primary purpose of a Consulting Firm is to provide access to industry – specific Specialist / Consultants and subject matter experts”.
There are many reasons why businesses appoint Consultants to solve an issue within the Company. Whether it’s because the company wants an unbiased opinion or because it doesn’t have the resources to address the issue internally. Consultants offer a way to problem-solving without costing a fortune.
The services provided by Consulting Engineers and other Professional Service providers involve a myriad of services in a range of disciplines and fields. These include, amongst others:
Project Management processes fall into five groups:
Please see DTA 651061: Multi-Disciplinary Tender Notice as an example for various Consultants needed.
Consulting Tenders will attract Consulting Organisations searching for Consulting Work. E.g. A Development of Municipal Offices – Architect / Quantity Surveyor / Consulting Engineer.
According to Michael Kromhout from D W P Civil & Structural Engineers, the Consulting Tenders that they look for are: “Any tenders relating to the Plan, Design and Management of Civil / Structural Projects; including Turnkey Projects”
It’s typical Civil / Structural Projects: Municipal Services (Roads, Sewer, Water), Bulk Services (Reservoirs, Pipelines, Water Treatment Plants, Pump Stations), Buildings, Structural Steel etc
To conclude this Blog, Consultancy is a specialised field required for a particular industry/field.
https://www.cesa.co.za/sites/default/files/PCES_FullDoc.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consultant
http://www.cidb.org.za/publications/Documents/The%20Procurement%20of%20Professional%20Services.pdf
Michael Kromhout – D W P Civil & Structural Engineers
I started working at Leads 2 Business in May 2014 as a Content Researcher in the Daily Tenders South Africa Department. I oversee Eastern Cape and Limpopo Regions.
Interesting facts about research in South Africa
What is the most played song in history? Mmmh …. maybe that’s too easy after the recent Justin Bieber’s “Despacito” barrage. Ok, let’s make it a bit more difficult: how many Olympic medals did Husain Bolt win in his illustrious career?
Not so easy now, is it?
Hang on, before you grab your mobile phone to Google the answer… What if I took you back in time to 1980 and asked you similar questions? Seems like an impossible task now doesn’t it?
Encyclopedia! I hear someone shout out loud. Yes, you might get lucky, if you had the most recent volume, but ultimately you can only cram so much into them! Another option might be going to your local library to look through hordes of newspaper archives … I can already see the look of disbelief on the faces of the millennials.
The reality is that nowadays we have ALL the answers a mere click (or a finger scroll) away using a myriad of search engines available to anyone with a device connected to the internet. The downside of this is that we are now flooded with information, we have to sift through masses of data to distinguish true facts from fake. Material is mostly sourced from journalists, the man on the street (often using their mobile devices) and research companies.
Research institutes use scientific methods to make sure that the study is done in a controlled way to ensure the results are as unbiased as possible.
This allows other researchers an opportunity to evaluate the process and ideally uncover facts that can be used to help people or the world in some way.
We have a thriving community of people in South Africa who afford us factual information, including Leads 2 Business who comprehensively research and provide our subscribers with tender notices, awards and privately funded projects.
Next time you click on that Google button realise how much has gone into making it all possible for you!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Research_institutes_in_South_Africa
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.
To view more articles, please visit our blog.
I joined Leads 2 Business in February 2005 as an Account Executive. I was promoted to Sales Manager in February 2007, and to Sales Director in November 2012. I manage the Sales, Telesales & Retention teams nationwide. I’m passionate about our company & staff, as well as the great opportunities we bring to our subscribers.
I am a lover of awesome design, customer centricity and the art of influence. Being able to effect this through analysis, written or visual content and front-end design is part of my work, my great love of creatively solving problems that reach across as many parts of Leads 2 Business as I can.
Visions of the future from the architectural past
When you look at a building, what do you see? I see bricks, some windows, a door or two, oh, and we can’t forget the roof. I am sure that is pretty much what everyone else sees. But when I was given the task of writing this blog, I couldn’t find anything on visions of the future from Architectures past besides the thoughts and visions of what the future might look like with flying cars and buildings in the air floating around (Ok, maybe not to that extent, but you get the idea). With a pounding headache and the confusion lingering, I was forced to take a deeper look into what was handed to me.
A light bulb appeared and low and behold, bam! The idea popped into my mind. I started to think a little out of the box. As the searching started I was amazed at what I discovered, who knew that there is more to a building than just bricks, windows, doors and a roof. Confused? Let me shed some light…
When you look at a building there is more than what the eye can see. There is a past, a story to be told. If I had to write about each and every building, we might be dealing with the longest blog known. Instead I have isolated 3 buildings to tell their story…
The Dresden Fraunkirche is a Lutheran church in Dresden, capital state of Saxony, Germany, first built in the 11th century in a Romanesque style. The first Frauenkirche was torn down in 1727 and replaced by a new and larger church. The church’s most distinctive feature was its unconventional 96m high dome, called ‘die Steinerne Glocke’ or “Stone Bell”
(Frauenkirche, between 1860 and 1890)
The destruction of the Frauenkirche took place on 13 February 1945, when Anglo-American allied forces began the bombing of Dresden. The church withstood these attacks for two days and nights and held long enough for the evacuation of 300 people who had sought shelter in the church. The dome finally collapsed on 15 February. The pillars exploded and the outer walls shattered and nearly 6 000 tons of stone plunged to earth.
During the last months of World War II, residents expressed the desire to rebuild the church, however reconstruction came to a halt due to political circumstances in East Germany. Due to the continuing decay of the ruins, Dresden leaders decided in 1985 to rebuild the Church of Our Lady. The project gathered momentum as hundreds of architects, art historians and engineers sorted through the thousands of stones, identifying and labelling each for reuse in the new structure.
Reconstruction proceeded in February 1992 and a rubble-sorting ceremony started the event in January 1993 under the direction of architect and engineer Eberhard Burger. The foundation stone was laid in 1995 and stabilised in 1995. In 1996 the crypt was completed followed by the inner cupola in 2000. The exterior was completed by 2004 and the exterior painted in 2005. The intensive efforts to rebuild this landmark were completed in 2005, one year earlier as planned and in time for the 800-year anniversary in 2006.
(Frauenkirche at night)
The Reichstag building is a historic edifice in Berlin, Germany which was constructed in 1871 to house the Imperial Diet of the General Empire.
(Reichstag Building, August 1932)
The building was opened in 1894 and housed the Diet until 1933, when it was severely damaged after it was set on fire. The building fell into disuse after the World War II.
(Reichstag, postwar. June 1945)
The ruined building was made safe against the elements and partially refurbished in the 1960s. Only after the German reunification on 3 October 1990, did the Reichstag undergo reconstruction led by Architect Norman Foster
During reconstruction, the building was almost completely stripped, taking out everything except the outer walls. Respect to the historic aspects was one of the conditions stipulated to the architects so that traces of historical events were to be retained in visible state.
Reconstruction was completed in 1999 and is the second most visited attraction in Germany. The building houses a huge glass dome that was erected on the roof as a gesture to the original 1894 cupola.
At the time of their completion the Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in the world. On 20 September 1962, the Port Authority announced the selection of Minoru Yamasaki as lead architect and Emery Roth & Sons as associate architects. The original plan was for the towers to only be 80 stories tall, however, to meet the requirements of the Port Authority to have 10 000 000 square feet of office space, towers were eventually 110 stories tall. Demolition work began on 21 March 1966 to clear thirteen square blocks of low rise buildings. Groundbreaking took place on 5 August 1966. On 4 April 1973 the Twin Towers opened.
About 50 000 people worked in the towers with approximately 200 000 additional visitors passing through on a typical weekday. On 11 September 2001, the world came to a standstill when terrorists hijacked American Airlines and deliberately crashed into both the towers. It was estimated that approximately 17 400 occupants were in the towers at the time of the attacks and 2 977 people died as a result.
During the following years, plans were created for the reconstruction of the World Trade Centre which is now known as the World Trade Centre Memorial and Museum. They commemorate all the victims that were killed on 11 September 2011, including the names of 6 people who were killed in the World Trade Centre bombings in 1993. Construction began in August 2006 and despite many delays, the opening of the memorial took place on 12 September 2011, one day after the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The names of the victims are inscribed on 76 bronze plates attached to the walls of the memorial pools. Below is the transcript of ‘The Memorial Mission’:
‘Remember and honour the thousands of innocent men, women, and children murdered by terrorists in the horrific attacks of February 26, 1993 and September 11, 2001.
Respect this place made sacred through tragic loss.
Recognise the endurance of those who survived, the courage of those who risked their lives to save others, and the compassion of all who supported us in our darkest hours.
May the lives remembered, the deeds recognised, and the spirit reawakened be eternal beacons, which reaffirm respect for life, strengthen our resolve to preserve freedom, and inspire an end to hatred, ignorance and intolerance.’
With a new outlook on buildings, always remember that just like each and every one of us, we all have a story to tell. A past, a present and a future.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Frauenkirche
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_building
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_dome
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Center_(1973%E2%80%932001)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_September_11_Memorial_%26_Museum
Did you Know #DYK: Project Life Cycle Explained
I started working at Leads 2 Business in October 2014 in the Leads 2 Quotes Department. I managed all the Daily Tender Bill Requests and followed up on BoQ's for our Daily Tender Subscribers. In 2017, I was promoted to L2Q Assistant and now work with Bill of Quantities for Contractors. 🙂
Description: Construction of a new head office for PricewaterhouseCoopers at Waterfall City, Midrand, Johannesburg. The R1.5 billion high-rise building of 26 storeys, comprising 40 000m² of modern offices, is designed to house 3 500 PwC employees in an efficient, optimally designed workplace. The PwC Tower will be constructed in phases due to the unique twist design of the structure. It gently twists through in its height to frame the grand urban park which forms the green heart of Waterfall City. The building is also is designed to conform to the internationally recognised LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver standard. Given the height of the building and that it is situated on a high point in Waterfall City, it will easily be the tallest structure on the corridor between the Sandton CBD and the Pretoria / Tshwane CBD. The PwC Tower will be visible from almost anywhere within a 30km radius. Estimated at R1.5 Billion
Status: Underway
Industry: Office & Commercial
Region: Midrand
Sector: Private
Value: 100 million+
Timing: April 2015 to October 2017 (30 months)
Notes: Construction is ongoing with completion estimated October 2017. A Subcontractors List has been requested. Details to follow as we receive them.
If you are a valued Projects subscriber, you can find more details click here PwC Head Office, Waterfall City
Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Reach out if you want to talk: L2B, social media, construction, technology, marriage, parenting, popular culture and travel. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward
Painless ways to save more money
Painless ways to save more money
First of all, I don’t think there any painless ways to save money. It is far easier and more fun to spend money. Saving money leans to the more boring and responsible decision making aspects of our lives, and sometimes you just don’t want to be any more responsible than you already are. Even if it’s better for you. In the long run. But you’re not dealing with the “long run” now, are you? Plus “saving more money” implies that you are saving money currently, and have extra money to stash away. Everyone’s financial situation is different. Some are more fraught than others. Maybe you only have to support yourself, and you can be a little bit more reckless since your decisions and choices only affect yourself. Perhaps you have people that are dependent on you, so your decisions have to take others into account as well. There’s only so many that can fit into a fridge box under a bridge (worst case scenario). I do have people dependent on me. So I approach my money from a variety of angles. Do I have all the answers? Hardly, she chuckles while not making eye contact with the credit card bill. Do all the little tricks work all the time? Nope. You see there’s this thing called “life” and it tends to happen at the worst possible time. But if you don’t have a plan or an approach, then there’s no getting anywhere.
Monthly Bills:
Write everything down – Whether you have a little budget you fill in each month or whatever, keep track. Not saying something because “you forgot” or “you didn’t get a bill” (our Municipalities are not the most reliable), is the easiest way to get behind. Writing everything down also allows you to compare month to month, and address any weirdly high bills, and follow up when you haven’t received a bill/ statement.
Annual Bills – Make note of your Annual bills as well. Know when your licences need to be renewed (e.g. TV, car and drivers’) and any other once a year expense (e.g. annual vaccines for the pets). You’ll be able to plan for these expenses and won’t be caught short and avoid any additional costs involved for being late (i.e. fines)
Annual Instalment Increases – Know when your instalments go up. Medical aid, Retirement Annuities, Insurances, Membership fees etc will all have an annual increase of some sort. Make note of when they go up and make note of what the new fees are. Can you ask for a discount or negotiate a different rate? If you aren’t paying attention, you will never know.
Save – Treat your monthly savings as an expense. I don’t care how much you put away each month, put something away. And make sure you can’t touch it easily. A 32-day call account is a good option for this.
Debt:
Are you serious about getting out of or reducing your debt? And I’m not talking about talking about it. Like everything in life, seeing is believing and doing is the hard part. Wishing it away doesn’t work. If you are not serious, then it’s not going to happen. Worrying about money is corrosive. And debt is a hole we dig for ourselves while lamenting and weeping about how deep the hole is we’re currently standing in and still digging. Everyone has debt in some form or another. I was completely debt free for all of a couple of seconds awhile back. Lovely feeling. Short-lived. Working to get back there. If you are not willing to make the hard decisions (read: not fun decisions) then shut up about your debt. And here’s another kick in the guts; it’s your fault you are in debt. (Shock! Horror!) No one else’s fault, but your own. (Disclaimer: In the case of identity theft, it’s not your fault. Bad luck. I hope it works out) So where do you start:
DO NOT make more debt – Simple. Straightforward. Draw a line in the sand, and do not cross it. Debts breed debt. So stop making more. Suffer but do not make any more debt.
Write EVERYTHING down – Do not be conservative or selective. Don’t write down only the big stuff. Write down who you owe, how much you owe and how much you pay them each month. Be ruthless. You can’t begin to start clearing it all if you don’t know the numbers. It can be daunting but suck it up. Make that list, and keep track every month. You want to be able to know at any given point how much you owe who and how much longer it’ll take to pay them off. Plus this will also allow you to see the horror that is “interest”.
Snowball payments – Once you’ve paid off one creditor, add that instalment to the next creditor on the list. You won’t miss the money, as you haven’t had it up to this point to put it to work. This allows you to speed up your repayments. Keep doing this until everything is paid and you are free and clear. Once you’ve paid off accounts, especially clothing accounts, close them. If you got into trouble with them in the first place, then they’re not working for you. Cut up the cards.
Bonus’ and unexpected windfalls – Depending on the sum, depends on what you do with it. If you are drowning in debt, any unexpected windfall triggers the “spend till we drop” knee-jerk reaction. I, however, hate being asked what I did with a large sum of money and not being able to actually pinpoint where it went. It’s different if you can say “Oh it went to the last holiday” or “the house or car”. Having to answer “I don’t know” is quite disheartening, especially if the money could’ve helped you in quite an impressive way and if you’ve just spent 10 minutes bemoaning your own financial status. If your huge wad of cash isn’t big enough to completely wipe out a particular pile of debt, stick it away into a savings account until it is big enough. If it is big enough, pay off the debt. Kill it, kill it dead. This is the boring and responsible decision making part of your life. This is where you choose to be serious or not. Urgh….so not fun.
Know it takes time – Be patient. Persevere. It might seem never-ending, but it will end and you will have reached your goal. And you might get to brag that you are “DEBT FREE”. Not many get to do that.
Saving
Everyone should be saving each month. It doesn’t matter how much you start with, as long as you start. Saving tends to be goal orientated. You’re saving towards something. They say that you need to have an Emergency Fund (3 to 6 months of living expenses), Short Term Goal (annual expenses) Mid-term Goal (holidays etc) and Long-Term Goal (Retirement). To say that this is overwhelming is an understatement.
Emergency Fund is basically in case of retrenchment. Should you get retrenched, you still have bills to pay and you should be able to live off this Fund until you get back on your feet. If you already have retrenchment cover in place; then you’re pretty much covered here. And good for you but a little extra can’t hurt.
Short Term Goal can be a fund for your annual expenses. You know how much your annual expenses will come to, so you save up to cover these. No scratching around for money to renew your Drivers License, as you’ve already saved towards it.
Mid-Term Goal is usually the fun ones. You plan on going on holiday or buying a new car or house. It’s not hard to be motivated to save towards these kinds of goals as they add to life’s little joys and they are something to look forward to.
Long-Term Goal is your plan and saving towards retirement. Unfortunately, you have to think about retirement and plan now. You can either have a Provident Fund, Retirement Fund, Retirement Annuities or a combination as well as a good old-fashioned savings account with awesome interest that you don’t touch for 30 to 40 years. The Grant for Older Persons (previously known as the Old Age Pension) is R1500.00 a month. Can you live on R1500.00 a month now? No? Then you won’t be able to do it when you’re retired either. If you already have a plan in place, then pay attention to it. Know how much it’ll be worth when you retire.
To Start Saving:
Have a Plan – Know how much you need to save each month and how long you need to save to reach your end goal. Do the maths.
Cut back on Expenses – Go through your monthly expenses with a fine tooth comb and see where you can cut back. Do you buy lunch each day, when you can bring lunch to work? Are there cheaper more cost effective options for your monthly shopping? Check your banking fees and cell phone account. Question everything. Are you paying towards a monthly Gym membership but have never gone? Cancel it. Go through your cupboards and use up what you already have so you don’t have to buy more. You will have to sacrifice. Whether you’re saving for an overseas trip or saving to pay off your debt faster; you will have to go without. Accept it now.
Create a No Spend Tracker – If you are serious about cutting down on your daily spending, then keep track. It’s generally the small daily amounts that fly under the radar that add up, so make yourself accountable. How long can you go without spending anything? See example here
Loyalty Rewards – Once these accumulate, these can be quite helpful. Know what loyalty points you earn where, and if you aren’t earning them; sign up.
Join a Savings Club – A Savings Club takes commitment. If you are not serious about paying in each month, then don’t even think about it. These only work when everyone who participates is on the same page and has respect for the process. If you are serious, a Savings Club can be your annual nest egg to be used wisely.
Sales and Specials – Slightly counterproductive in advocating saving of money but taking advantage of specials and sales can be extremely helpful. Stock up on 3 for 2 specials for toiletries and non-perishable items and bulk buy. If you have a nice stockpile built up, who knows how long you can go without having to spend anything again. Obviously, within reason. You’re not a doomsday prepper preparing for the apocalypse. Buy birthday and Christmas presents throughout the year. December and January are traditionally quite lean months for myself, so if I have all my Christmas presents bought before December; this helps a great deal
Add extra to monthly bills – By the end of the year, you would’ve built up a nice credit and can actually skip those bills over either December or January. The extra cash can either carry you through these lean times, help prevent more debtor can go into your savings.
Money matters are something that we have to learn from experience. So set yourself a goal and make smart choices. It won’t be easy or quick, but it will be worth it.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.
To view more articles, please visit our blog.
I started working at Leads 2 Business in February 2005, and have served as Head of Department of Daily Tenders from 2007 until the present. I oversee both the Daily Tenders South Africa and Africa Departments.
Moretele South Water Supply 25 Ml Command Reservoir
Contract Number: RFB/MW/115/2016-2017 – Magalies Water
Description : Magalies Water invites tenders for Moretele South Water Supply 25 Ml Command Reservoir .
Industry Sector : Water
Industry : Infrastructure
Region : North West
Site Inspection: A compulsory clarification meeting with representitives of the Employer will take place at Lapa of he Klipdrift WTW. Co-ordinates are: 25°22’53.34″S; 28°18’26.41″E on 06 February 2017 starting at 11:00.
Closing Date: 07 March 2017 at 12:00.
Restrictions: It is estimated that tenderers should have a cidb contractor grading of 8CE. 7CE Potentially Emerging Enterprises who satisfy criteria stated in the Tender Data may submit Tender offers. Preferences are offered to tenderers who 8 CE or higher or 7CE/PE Only tenderers who Civil Engineering Class of Works are eligible to submit tenders. Telephonic, Telegraphic, Telex, Facsimile, Emailed and Late Tenders will not be accepted. Tenders may only be submitted on the tender documentation that is issued. Requirements for sealing, addressing, delivering, opening and assessment of Tenders are stated in the Tender Data.
If you are a valued Tender subscriber, Click to find more details about Moretele South Water Supply 25 Ml Command Reservoir – DTA 618559.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.
To view more articles, please visit our blog.
I started working at Leads 2 Business in February 2005, and have served as Head of Department of Daily Tenders from 2007 until the present. I oversee both the Daily Tenders South Africa and Africa Departments.
Discovery Health Head Office
Description : Construction of the new Discovery Health Head Office, in Sandton, Gauteng. The site will be situated on the corner of Rivonia Road and Sandton Drive. The old Sandton Garden Court Hotel was situated at this site, and has been demolished to make way for the new Discovery hub. The building will consist of two wings with eight floors of offices plus a ground floor and a feature roof level. It will also offer nine basements with over 5,100 parking bays. The property is owned by Growthpoint (55%) and Zenprop (45%). It will be developed in a phased approach, and will incorporate a GBCSA (Green Building Council South Africa) green building accredited rating of at least four stars. It is also set to become a landmark on the Sandton skyline. This iconic building will be the largest single office development to take place in Africa. The building will house 5000 Discovery employees. Value of the entire project is estimated to R1.8 Billion. Size 50 000m²
Status : Underway
Industry: Building
Region : Sandton
Sector : Private
Value : R 100 million+
Timing : January 2014 – October 2017. Occupation January 2018 (33 months).
Notes: Construction is ongoing, the facade is nearing completion and the contractor is currently busy with the internal work. Completion is still on track for October 2017.
If you are a valued Projects subscriber, you can find more details click here Discovery Health Head Office – Building – PPA: 13215.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit our website.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit our Wiki site.
To view more articles, please visit our blog.
Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Reach out if you want to talk: L2B, social media, construction, technology, marriage, parenting, popular culture and travel. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward