Skills Transfer, Training & Community Involvement

Africost has long been committed to correcting the historic imbalance in skills transfer and training, and has over the years, matured previously disadvantaged Quantity Surveyors, Projects Managers and General Contractors into Directorships, by assisting them to initiate their own practices and to work as independent entities or in joint ventures.

Africost has dedicated material, labour, expertise and time towards achieving objectives and subscribe to many community based project based joint ventures with emerging practices that pursue common goals. Such projects include assisting in business plans, estimates for schools, crèches, social upliftment plans, supervising building programmes and assisting emerging building contractors with generic administrative skills.

Other examples of Africost’s commitment to social upliftment include;

• Provision of surety to a small emerging previously disadvantaged contractor, thereby allowing him to tender on the upgrading of market stalls at Nongoma’s taxi rank, and assisting him to plan and manage the project. Today he is an established contractor in the area.
• Overseeing the training of many unskilled community member during the 1996 KwaMashu hostel upgrade
• Monetary contribution to the Classroom Building Programme at Utrecht (in conjunction with Umzinyathi Projects Group (Pty) Ltd Consulting Engineers

In addition to these commitments, the Africost Directors are responsible for ensuring consistent and proactive education and training, across the following disciplines:

• Planning and Cost Analysis
• Feasibility Studies
• Tender Documentation
• Project Administration
• Project Management
• Construction Management
• Human Relations and Training
• Property Development
• Finance
• Management and Administration