According to the International Monetary Fund, the construction sector was one of the industries that was most affected by COVID-19.

Companies in the civil engineering sector continue to recognise the value of their bargaining council, with another 373 firms registering in 2019, according to Kevin Moodley, acting general secretary of the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI).

Small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) are the lifeblood of South Africa's economy.

In the wake of the devastating economic carnage wreaked by the Covid-19 pandemic, construction developers and contractors have a golden opportunity to leave a positive, lasting legacy in the communities in which their projects are based by facilitating the creation of sustainable livelihoods among the local populations.

A lack of ethical treatment, payment delays and unfavourable contract terms are putting building contractors under unreasonable pressure.