Embracing Smarter, Riskier Decisions in 2025

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In wrapping up the year, I could have easily written a blog filled with nostalgia about the past year, reflecting on what we’ve accomplished and what we’ve learned. But as I sat with it, I realized that would not be true to who I am. What I truly want to achieve with this blog is not just to reflect, but to set the stage for what’s next. As we wrap this year up, I want to talk about how do we enter the new year with better vision, fresh mindset whilst embracing smarter and riskier decisions based on our ever-shifting landscape.

As a person who believes in preparing for tomorrow while also honouring the past and fully embracing the present. I’ve learned, over time, to hold both the past and the future in a delicate balance. This is a mindset I’ve had to cultivate intentionally, with a great deal of care, over the years. And I want to invite you, wherever you are on your journey: whether you’re a current client, a future one, or someone just – reading this now, to embrace this mindset, too.

Here’s a truth I’ve come to understand: “People perish for lack of vision.” Yes, it’s a biblical insight, but it applies just as much to our work in leadership or business. Vision is everything. It’s what keeps us grounded in our “why”, the deeper purpose behind what we do and helps us navigate the ever-changing landscape around us. Our ability to adapt, to hold our vision while making room for change is what enables both individuals and organizations to not just survive, but to thrive and step into the opportunities that await us.

This brings me to the heart of today’s message: embracing smarter, riskier decisions in 2025.

I want you to imagine that it’s already 2025, and you’re not just getting by, you’re thriving. What once seemed like a season of uncertainty now feels like fertile ground for growth and transformation. The key to this future? The decisions you make today. I’m talking about embracing smarter, sometimes riskier, decisions in the here and now. Decisions that may seem daunting but will set you up for a stronger tomorrow.

Let’s bring this home, particularly if you’re in the construction industry like us. The current landscape is certainly challenging. The South African Reserve Bank has made interest rate cuts, which offer some relief. Even though the growth forecasts remain modest, there’s real momentum building in some sectors. Yes, there’s uncertainty but isn’t that often where opportunity lives? Instead of relying on guesses or vague predictions, it’s time to start making informed, strategic decisions. Take these potential risks and turn them into stepping stones for growth.

One shift that can make all the difference? Investing in a project lead generation service.This isn’t just about finding more projects. It’s about creating a steady, reliable pipeline for your business. Imagine your business pipeline being as solid and dependable as thestructures being built. A healthy, full pipeline means fewer surprises, more opportunities, and a clearer path forward. When your pipeline is steady and reliable you aren’t just reacting to the market, you’re in alignment. That’s when you begin to feel a sense of control and confidence.

Now, I know that we’ve faced some tough challenges this year, especially within the public sector of construction. But here’s what I want you to remember: every cloud has its silver lining. While some areas struggle are struggling, others like KwaZulu-Natal are stepping up with major investments. And the recent crime-fighting agreements? They are adding a layer of optimism to what felt like an overwhelming situation. This tells us two things: First, there’s always a market somewhere for those who are willing to adapt. And second, flexibility is key. If we want to thrive, we must adjust our sails, seek the winds of opportunity, and navigate in the direction where growth is happening. In 2025, we must shift toward a more proactive mindset. This isn’t just about identifying risks; it’s about proactively planning for them and finding ways to mitigate them. The uncertainties we face should not paralyze us, they should drive us to make smarter decisions, take calculated risks and move forward with intention.

So, what’s the key takeaway? The future of the construction industry is indeed bright, but it will only unfold if we approach it with a mindset that is forward-thinking and full of vision. By investing in smarter decision-making today, you can weather tomorrow’s storms and seize the opportunities waiting for you.

To all of our dear clients: As we come to the close of another year, I encourage you to take time to rest and recharge. You’ve worked hard, and this is the time to honour your body, your mind, and your spirit. We look forward to walking this journey with you again next year.

Happy Holidays!

 

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About Minnie Zondi

I am an insanely optimistic ambivert that does everything from the heart instead of the mind. Deeply interested in people and matters that pertain to mankind.

Featured Company: Eppen-Burger & Associates cc

Read about who’s who in the Industry: Eppen-Burger & Associates offers construction health & safety services to the construction industry and prides itself on offering a personalized, project-specific service with individual expertise and industry experience placing them at the forefront of the industry in terms of competence, experience, qualifications, and knowledge.

Eppen-Burger & Associates cc

 


If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.
To view more Featured Companies, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.

About Michelle Herbst

I started working at Leads 2 Business in February 2014. I'm a Senior L2Q Account Executive for the Cape Town Region.

Featured Company: Thekweni Reinforcing (Pty) Ltd

Read about who’s who in the Industry: Thekweni Reinforcing Pty Ltd is a wholly-owned Black company, providing reinforcing products and services to the construction, civil and engineering markets. This includes the supply, cut, bend, delivery, and installation of steel reinforcing. The company enjoys a recognized industry track record of delivery of the highest quality products and services. Thekweni Reinforcing Pty Ltd is a leading provider of reinforcing products and related services.

Thekweni Reinforcing (Pty) Ltd

If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.
To view more Featured Companies, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.

About Wendy De Wet

I joined Leads 2 Business as an Account Executive in July 2011 and was part of the dynamic sales team in JHB for 2 years. I relocated to the beautiful city of Durban in 2013 and absolutely love KZN. I am very proud to be part of the L2B family and Legacy!

Developments coming soon in Africa

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Due to severe lack of adequate housing for the burgeoning populations in the various countries in Africa, more and more private developers are looking at building, not just housing estates, but whole new cities with the “Live, Work, Play” concept. Some of these new cities or mixed-use developments are still in the planning stages, but some are already underway :

Some of these developments are :

Pearl Marina – Uganda – is a development located on a 300 acre prime property located on the Garuga Peninsula in Uganda. The property is to be developed as a premium integrated water front destination, resort town and a premier Uganda tourism asset. The development will provide premium tourism and residential facilities, including hotels, conference facilities, luxury apartments, villas, a golf course, marinas, hospital, international school, modern office park and a retail centre. This is already under construction.

Tatu City – Kenya is the development of a new, world class mixed use and mixed income city centre for Nairobi, approximately 15km north of the current Nairobi City Centre in Kenya, East Africa. It covers an area of approximately 1 000 hectares and when developed, it will provide a comprehensive mix of land uses, including residential, retail, commercial, tourism, social facilities and recreation and will be privately managed. The developer, Tatu City Ltd, will undertake the servicing of the land parcels for onward sale to developers. The infrastructure includes roads, electricity, water, waste water and solid waste infrastructure as well as public landscaping and (possibly) some simple municipal building. Construction on the residential component is underway.

Vision City – Rwanda – The proposed development is set on a prime 158 hectare tract of land in Gaculiro, Kinyinya Sector of Gasabo district, this high end estate is adjacent to RSSB constructed Vision 2020 Estate and approximately 3 km from the proposed Central Business District (CBD) at Muhima and 6 km from Kigali International Airport. It will consist of over 4 500 units in different configurations ranging from luxury villas to apartments to be built in 4 phases over 8 years. Phase 1 is already underway.

Eco Medical Village – Ghana – This is a proposed medical village project development which is located in Accra, on a 30 acre site acquired adjacent to Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration in Ghana. The construction of a medical village in Ghana that will consist of: a 380 ward hospital, 120 ward women and children hospital, underground parking space for 1 000 vehicles, 120 ward housing for the elderly, 17 storey doctors’ offices, a medical shopping mall; all things health; 40 x unit studio apartments for medical trainees; a medical research center in collaboration with world renowned hospitals; a 4 star medical hotel, a 2 star medical hotel, air ambulance and paramedic services and a housing facility for medical staff. The sod-turning ceremony is scheduled for October this year.

Sharm El Sheikh – Egypt – The development is to consist of villas, townhouses, apartments, offices, hotels and shopping malls. The property is located on the edge of the Red Sea, the development spans a massive 437 000m² and features residential components including villas, townhouses and apartments with all properties created to maximise sea view. A seaside, 5-star hotel with 118 executive rooms, 30 suites, 10 Spa Suites, a Presidential Suite Villa and a Royal Suite Villa further complements a thriving community. The entire development is surrounded by a lushly landscaped, one-of-a-kind greenbelt orienting the hotel and the residential properties. Construction has commenced on the hotel.

Even in North Africa, there are new cities being considered :

Tunisia Economic City – Tunisia – This new city is located in Enfidha District in Tunisia (North Africa) in close proximity to the Enfidha Al-hammamat International airport which can help initially to speed up the building of the city. The 90 square kilometer project with an 18 kilometer beach front modern sustainable and Eco-friendly metropolis will be the home of 500 000 inhabitants and will provide 250 000 jobs once completed within 15 years from now. Construction has not yet commenced on this.

There is also a whole new capital city planned in Egypt, just outside Cairo :

New City – Egypt – is the construction of a whole new city, outside Cairo. This new city will become the country’s new capital. The new city is meant for the low and middle income earners and will include an airport, shopping mall, hotels and amenities such as schools and hospitals as well as providing homes to low and middle-income buyers. The new city is still to be named and will be built near the Suez Canal. A Chinese construction company have been awarded the contract to build the city and the infrastructure & civil works have started.

There is a very exciting project currently underway in Nigeria :

Eko Atlantic Development – Nigeria – This development is to be built on about nine million square metres of reclaimed land, 2.4 kilometres south of Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos in Nigeria. Once completed it will be one and a half times the size of the current Victoria Island. It is estimated that it will accommodate 250 000 residents and 150 000 commuters. The city will cover seven districts : Ocean Front, Harbour Lights, Business District, Eko Drive, Marina, Avenues and Downtown. The Business District will also house a convention centre, auditorium and hotels. Construction is well underway.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of new mixed-use developments up and coming in Africa.

If your company is looking for Leads on Construction Projects in Africa, you would need to subscribe to Private Projects to get information on these and many more up-and-coming projects in Africa. Please email me on MarlaineA@L2B.co.za so that I can assist you further.

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

The On-Line Construction Directory

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Also known as the Leads 2 Business Platinum Directory Listing (PDL). This directory is a simple tool that has evolved into a remarkable business system which has many benefits for the vendor. As a vendor, registering on the Platinum Directory Listing, your company has the opportunity to generate new business leads with a well-defined market niche.

By registering your business on the Leads 2 Business directory :

  • Your company will gain exposure to the various Buyers from the various construction companies.
  • It stimulates on-line pricing awareness on prospective tenders.
  • There is an optional SMS notification facility, should a Request for Quotation (RfQ) be sent to you.
  • You can specify where your product/service is labour & materials or labour only. You can define your BBBEE status and indicate your CIDB grading; list all necessary company contact details and give a detailed description of your company’s products/services rendered.
  • You are improving your company’s exposure and position as you price.
  • You can broadcast items that you have priced to other buyers who may be looking for the same pricing information.
  • You can manage your listing to dictate which Requests for Quotes are appropriate to your particular trade profile.
  • You will receive award notifications on the contracts you have priced.

In addition, Leads 2 Business takes a proactive approach to support, if we receive notification of an email problem from your ISP, we will contact you to try and sort it out.

We also offer Online support via Livehelp which can be accessed anytime you may need assistance or have a query you need to raise, we are only a click or a call away.

So, now you are listed on the Leads 2 Business Platinum Directory and ready to acquire more business, more often. Here is how it works in order to expose your business to target industry listings and securing new contacts :

A Buyer/Contractor sends out Requests for Quotes (RfQs) to specific Vendors/Suppliers listed on our directory.

When a Vendor/Supplier receives the RfQ, they have the option to price it or to decline the request.

Vendors can respond to the RfQ via : Online pricing, email or fax (If the Buyer/Contractor has drawings associated with the Bill these will be available online and accessible with your Vendor/Supplier username and password).

Vendors/Suppliers who haven’t responded are contacted by the Leads 2 Business Control List Team for follow up.

Prices submitted by Vendors/Suppliers are used by the Buyer/Contractor to formulate their tender pricing.

And Platinum Directory Listed Vendors/Suppliers will receive Award notifications on RfQs received as long as they have acknowledged the RfQ.

So, can being listed on the Platinum Directory get you noticed by the Industry Giants???
Having read the above, what do you think?……

About Marlaine Andersen

Leads 2 Business Advertising Co-ordinator and Digital Designer

Cape Construction Expo – Why you should be there

 

Cape Town International Conference Centre
Cape Town International Conference Centre

 

When last were you in the Cape? It is like Cape Town and surrounds are the mecca to visit in South Africa. Honestly, each Province in my opinion has it’s own special attraction, but the Western Cape ….. well, I have a bit of a soft spot for it, so it may have more to offer than some other Provinces. So if you are anything like me, if a potential work opportunity arises it is hardly considered work – it is an absolute pleasure. It doesn’t mean I don’t think competitively though. It turns into a Sharks vs Stormers derby in my head I guess. Not just in the sense that I am trying to one up my second favourite Province with what KwaZulu-Natal has to offer, but also from a business aspect.

 

Well, here is the opportunity! If you want to strut your stuff, get your show on, tell people about how fantastic you are – you would be amiss in leaving out the Cape Construction Expo (unless of course you do something totally unrelated to the Construction industry). Yes, I hear your point that it is a fairly new enterprise, only being in it’s third year; but you could also hear my point and tell me what you think…

 

Western Cape ranks as one of the top two provinces to live in with regards to business and socio economic factors according to Business Report. But let’s all be honest, who doesn’t want to at least visit what is considered one of the trendiest and most alluring Provinces in our amazing Country? So how much better is it then to exhibit in this hotbed of innovation, design and great business concepts? This off the back of the fiercely contended WDC14 competition with the added bonus of the world’s attention now being focused on the Cape’s initiatives.  The objectives of the Expo are:

 

CCE Objectives
CCE Objectives

 

Some stats for those of us who like figures:

  • Western Cape contributes almost 14% to the national economy
  • Growth for the Western Cape is predicted to be 2.1% this year, increasing to 2.8% by 2018
  • Western Cape has earmarked a further R17.3 billion for infrastructural public works
  • Cape Town has allocated R6.5 billion ($535 million) for infrastructure investment for 2015
  • R5.2m had been set aside for local contractors to apply for subcontracting tenders.

 

CCE is being held at the Cape Town International Conference Centre between the 12 – 14 August. The organisers, Hypenica, have some contemporary ideas on how to keep people intricately involved and connected in the seminars with Question and Answer platforms so that the conversation can not only be creative but hopefully bring solutions to relevant issues. They also boast that there will be more than 100 of the most innovative suppliers to the construction industry (can you really afford not to be there?). That, along with the fact that the conference is very socially connected, is evident through the Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn presence they already have. So be aware that your reach would go beyond just being a delegate and exhibitor. It will be travelling out onto the web to give you extra coverage, opinion and reach.  Capetonians are considered social beings anyway aren’t they?

 

The Conference times are as follows :

 

  • Wednesday, 12 August 2015
    9:30 – 17:00

  • Thursday, 13 August 2015
    9:30 – 17:00

More information can be found at: Conference Overview

 

The Exhibition times are as follows:

  • Wednesday, 12 August 2015
    11:00 – 17:00
  • Thursday, 13 August 2015
    10:30 – 16:00

More information can be found at: Exhibiting at CCE

 

Leads 2 Business, being at the forefront of Construction Industry Information supply, is very pleased to be exhibiting at the Cape Construction Expo. Being the generous folks that we are, we would like to extend an invite to those reading this blog. You can access a free invite by clicking here, pop in for a visit and soak up the amazing offerings from both the workshops and the exhibition, keeping in line with where the Construction Industry is heading. While there, come in and chat to us at Stand 411.

Can you really afford to not come? Besides, who turns down an offer to spend time in the Cape right?

See you there 🙂

 

 

About Carmen Barends

Social media adventurer for Leads 2 Business, exploring new frontiers and taking new ground. “Not all those who wander are lost.” JRR Tolkien