Reclaiming the Drawing Board

In Response to the Inanda Structural Collapse

This presentation examines the systemic challenges facing South Africa’s built environment sector in the wake of the Inanda structural collapse and the earlier George building collapse. It highlights the critical role of registered built environment professionals in ensuring public safety, quality, compliance and accountability throughout the planning, design and construction process.

The presentation explores the relationship between regulatory oversight, professional responsibility and the economic pressures affecting the built environment, including the impact of competitive fee structures and procurement practices on the quality and sustainability of professional services.

It further considers the decline in professional registration, the challenges experienced by graduates and young professionals, the rise of unregistered practitioners, and the financial pressures facing voluntary professional associations. The presentation argues that these issues collectively threaten the development of professional expertise, mentorship and long-term capacity within the sector.

Drawing on international approaches to professional regulation and…