More investment in rural infrastructure needed

This was the essential message presented to delegates by Shawn Gama, CEO of Zimile Consulting Engineers, at the 13th Rural Development Conference for Africa, which recently took place in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

Gama’s solution is an engineering-driven ‘eat the elephant’ approach that should begin with life-sustaining projects. Citing Greenpeace’s ‘Water Crisis in South Africa’ article from 2022, he states that about 19% of rural South Africa lacks access to reliable water supply and 33% do not have basic sanitation services.

“Let’s not even get into the need for sustainable housing, roads, healthcare facilities, bridges and so much more!” Gama stresses, adding that the result has been a steady migration to seek out better living conditions and employment, with around 67.85% of South Africa’s population now living in urban centres. However, that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily better off, given the mushrooming of informal settlements within town and cities.

A way out of the poverty trap

Gama proposes the following solutions to drive enabling infrastructure development that helps balance the rural and urban equation:

- eliminate corruption within government and the private sector

- focus on quality more than costs

- everage the power of innovation and technology in delivering cost-effective projects

- professionalise the public sector vigorously

- drive community engagement as a priority in project implementation from concept stages until completion

- build sustainable and smart infrastructure

- improve procurement processes by removing red tape and shortening the turnaround times to appoint service providers

- partner with reliable consulting engineer firms.

On the last point, Gama stresses that that role of a consulting engineer is key to delivery.

“Consulting engineers possess a unique set of skills that enable them to tackle complex challenges and find sustainable solutions. Their expertise goes beyond technical knowledge; it encompasses creativity, critical thinking, project management and effective communication,” he explains.

In Zimile’s case, this experience has been successfully applied over the last decade on numerous rural projects that have helped transform communities. This past year alone, for example, the company was involved in more than 27 projects covering various disciplines – such as water, roads and stormwater –with community engagement prioritised from inception to implementation.

“By partnering with reliable consulting engineering firms, we can overcome the challenges that hinder progress and drive positive change in our society,” Gama concludes.