Page 7 - NHBRC

CITY PRESS, 4 SEPTEMBER, 2016
opportunity index
hen women build houses, they’re creating
far more than a home; they’re also building
communities and strengthening their social
fabric. In the process, the women become
Weconomically empowered and help South
Africa to grow.
That’s the nub of the message from Xoliswa Daku, National
Home Builders’ Registration Council (NHBRC) board member. She
is also the CEO of Daku Group of Companies, an investment and
development pioneer. Its multibillion-rand partnerships include
the One&Only hotel in Cape Town and 2010 World Cup projects.
If just some of Daku’s formidable energy and determination,
obvious the instant she whirls into the headquarters of the
NHBRC in Sunninghill, infects women running their own
construction companies, then we’re headed into a firm future.
“Once you own a home, whether it’s a flat or a house, your
stake in the economy is embedded and it leads to a more stable
and satisfied population,” she says.
“Indeed, the Constitution requires us to provide houses to
create dignity and shelter for South Africans. That’s our
mandate,” explains Daku.
With that in mind, and determined to marry
the holistic innate power of women with A
entrepreneurship in construction, the
NHBRC decided to develop as many project
women as it could by enabling them to in partnership
go to university – to the Gordon
Institute of Business Science (Gibs). with the
More than 100 women have had
their businesses boosted in the past
two years as they’ve taken the training,
skills and social interactions from NHBRC
lecture halls back to their companies.
Some women who graduated from the
courses have formed a construction
consortium. This enables them to tender for
big contracts that they, on their own, could not
have landed. It also affords them a higher
Construction Industry Development Board grading, and
some moved to the highest level – nine.
Others have formed WhatsApp groups so they can share
information about tenders, building materials and so on.
“Many in construction believe that the way to go is sole
proprietorships. But we know that the more you work with
others, the better chance you have of growing your business and
creating opportunities for yourself,” Daku says.
“This is why we urge our Gibs delegates to network among
themselves, develop each other, learn from others. We want them GOAL ORIENTED Xoliswa Daku is helping to create opportunities for women PHOTO: TEBOGO LETSIE
to share knowledge, opportunities and different angles to tackling It takes a
business.”
Daku says that just as there are “old boy networks”, there
should be similar ones for women, “in the way we had friendship
groups at school and university. We want to create sisterhoods
and not just wealth.”
Some of the women who have attended the NHBRC courses at
Gibs “come from townships and have had little exposure to such
an institution”, she says. “Imagine them going home and telling
their families, communities and especially their children of their woman...
experiences. It will infuse kids with ambition to follow in their
mother’s footsteps.”
The trickle-down effect is potentially enormous.
Throughout our interview, Daku emphasises that the NHBRC’s
mandate “is to ensure that quality houses are built. The
programme is now restricted to women in the home-building
industry [initially, this was not the case].”
The programme also exposes delegates to other aspects of
construction, such as different building materials and new The highly successful Women Empowerment Programme, run by the
technology.
“We’ve had professionals such as engineers in our programmes, National Home Builders’ Registration Council over the past two years,
as well as those providing electrical services.”
What the NHBRC does require from women on the course “is has warranted a third course with the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
that they have an active project on the go. We’re going to have
on-site training. So this is a practical and not just a theoretical Council board member Xoliswa Daku tells
approach.” Sue Grant-Marshall about past triumphs and the criteria used for selecting
Building site inspectors are integral to the NHBRC’s work, so aspiring delegates to the upcoming programme
they will be part of the training process.
Residential building activity has not performed well over the
past year and is not expected to improve significantly in the short
to medium term.
“This is due to current economic conditions. However, there 28 466 R6 417
has been growth in the construction of flats and townhouses, and
this is our market – the more affordable market,” says Daku.
“We’re looking at smaller houses, at cluster and social housing.
Our mandate is to ensure that these units are quality checked.” THE NUMBER OF THE COST
Daku emphasises the power of the programme by describing BUILDING PLANS FOR PER SQUARE
how the NHBRC goes to provincial, regional and municipal offices HOUSING UNITS METRE
and hands them lists of women who are on its database.
“We explain that they are well trained, and this also creates
building opportunities for the women.”
Many who attend the courses are experiencing financial and
management problems. At the end of the course, they return to APPROVED FROM TO BUILD
their businesses with greatly increased confidence about how to
tackle these potentially tricky areas. JANUARY TO JUNE 2016 NEW HOUSES
Daku, born and raised in the motor manufacturing hub of
Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape, knows what it is like to struggle.
“Everyone there worked hard. That was the culture. My mother
was a teacher; my grandmother was a prison warder. I attended
Roman Catholic schools and learnt to be independent at a really WANTED: WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION
young age. It was good,” she says emphatically.
This mother of two children, aged seven and 10, is also a
qualified legal practitioner. “Studying law gave me the capacity
and discipline to be confident, firm and assertive. Without that,
I’d not be able to talk to anyone.” . The delegate must be a woman who owns at least 51% of . The successful delegate must sign a contract with the
Daku has attended the Executive MBA programme at the a construction or construction-related company (preferably NHBRC, acknowledging an obligation to repay the bursary
University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, and also in home building) and is actively involved in the running of in full or part thereof should she leave the programme
has a range of diplomas and certificates from institutions the business. before completion.
including Stellenbosch University, Varsity College and the . The business must be registered with the NHBRC or have
University of the Western Cape. done so by March 31 2017. What the programme offers
“I wanted to be involved with commerce, business . The business must have been in active operation for at . Business management training delivered by leading faculty
administration and so on because, as a businessperson, you need least two consecutive years and have an annual revenue of and specialists (14 full classroom days over five months).
to continuously rebuild yourself.” between R300 000 and R15 million. . Five months of support services, including mentorship,
The NHBRC is working with other organisations, such as the . The business must have at least two full-time employees. coaching and additional workshops.
Businesswomen’s Association of SA and the Black Business . The delegate must commit to attending all 14 days of . Interactive engagement with sector experts.
Council, as well as South African Women in Construction, local business training over five months and all the support . Delegates will develop a comprehensive business plan for
municipalities and provincial departments of human settlements. services commitments during the following five months. their business.
“We are looking for those involved in medium-sized companies, . The delegate must be able to develop a comprehensive . The programme will begin in September.
say grades two to six, but we’re definitely not excluding grades business plan for her business at the end of the training to Call 011 771 4101, or contact Fazlyn Toeffie at
seven to nine. We want women who feel they might qualify to graduate. toeffief@gibs.co.za or academy@gibs.co.za
step forward.”
Assuring Quality Homes Since 1998
The NHBRC is here to protect your rights as a new homeowner, by ensuring that our
registered builders deliver a quality home that you can enjoy for generations to come.
1. Use a registered builder and sub-contractors.
2. Register your new home 15 days before you start building.
3. Demand that a minimum of four inspections are done during construction.
4. Before signing your “happy letter”, make sure you are satisfied with the quality of your new home.
5. Address any construction related issues with your builder in the first three months of moving into your
new home, to take advantage of your Warranty Cover.
Toll Free: 0800 200 824 www.nhbrc.org.za @NHBRC National Home Builders Registration Council