Abstract
The South African build industry, a critical driver of economic growth, faces significant challenges due to inherent risks that adversely affect project outcomes. This dissertation investigates the primary sources of risk in the industry, their impact on project success, and effective risk response strategies, with a focus on owners, stakeholders and professionals in the build industry in the Gauteng Province.
The minor-dissertation identifies key risks which is divided into eight main categories consisting of design related risk, environmental issues, project planning issues, financial issues, capability of employees, regulatory issues, time and safety related issues. Employing a quantitative research approach, data was collected via an online Google Forms survey distributed to owners, stakeholders and professionals in the build industry. The online survey, comprising 50 closed ended questions across the eight risk categories: design, environmental, project planning, financial, employee related, regulatory, time, and safety was analysed using descriptive statistics in Microsoft Excel to evaluate risk severity and impact.
The primary data collected and analysed indicate that the highest-rated risks include deficient design, incomplete environmental assessments, noncompliance with contractual quality standards, insufficient project budgeting, inadequate contractor experience, emphasis on local enterprises, state property procurement delays, and inadequate training for tools and machinery. This minor-dissertation underscores the importance of effective risk management practices, suggesting that exhaustive design evaluations, enhanced environmental planning, stricter financial forecasting, and improved safety training are necessary to mitigate risks. The built industry can advance project outcomes, mitigate financial losses, and reinforce economic contributions by proactively addressing these issues via risk identification, assessment, and response strategies.
The purpose of this minor-dissertation is to offer professionals in the build industry practical insights that will enhance the resilience and success of their projects by strengthening risk management frameworks.