This year’s CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards finalists announced

CONSULTING Engineers South Africa (CESA) has announced the finalists for the 2025 CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards due to take place on 21 August 2025 at Vodacom World, in Midrand. The awards honour outstanding projects, organisations and individuals who are shaping the built environment through innovation, collaboration, and engineering excellence.

Now in its 53rd year, the annual awards are a cornerstone of the consulting engineering industry – recognising excellence not just in design and execution, but in the transformative role engineering plays in society. This year’s awards spotlight sustainability, ingenuity, and the bold ideas driving progress across the country.

“Engineering the future, we want means reimagining infrastructure in a way that is inclusive, sustainable, and future-ready,” says Chris Campbell, CEO of CESA. “The 2025 finalists exemplify how consulting engineers are pushing boundaries through projects that prove that engineering is not only solving today’s problems but actively building the South Africa we aspire to.”

Projects submitted this year reflect a wide variety of sectors, including transport, water, residential and industrial, as well as social infrastructure – each one demonstrating a commitment to environmental stewardship and technical excellence.

“In celebrating these finalists, we also reaffirm our belief that engineering is central to South Africa’s future. Through innovation and sustainable practices, consulting engineers are laying the foundation for economic stability and an improved quality of life. The diversity and creativity evident in this year’s submissions are a reminder of the talent and vision within our profession.”

Dr Nolwandle Mgoqi, CEO of Aon South Africa, the platinum sponsor of the awards, underscores the importance of recognising these achievements. “Aon takes immense pride in our long-standing partnership with CESA and our continued sponsorship of the prestigious CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards, celebrating the innovation and sustainability of South Africa’s engineering sector.”

She adds: “As a trusted advisor in Risk Management, Aon’s involvement underscores our dedication to enabling the engineering sector to address complex risks, foster innovation and deliver projects that meet the highest standards of safety, quality and sustainability. Aon congratulates all nominees and award recipients who remain steadfast in supporting initiatives that drive excellence and capacity building within the industry”.

The finalists for the 2025 CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards are:

Young Engineer of the Year Award Category

Daryl Gouws from Zutari
Dhishan Mahabeer from Makhaotse, Narasimulu and Associates
Jemma Dawson from Atana
Imraan Akhalwaya from WSP Africa
Lindokuhle Mbatha from Zutari
Kelton Govender from WSP Africa
Kyle Naidoo from Makhaotse, Narasimulu and Associates
Tumelo Fosa from Nyeleti Consulting
Pierre Vivier from MSW Consulting
Tinashe Jubylant Mukalela from AvenirHoldings
Christian de Charmoy from Bigen
Gisella Mulder from Hatch
Warren McLachlan from SMEC South Africa

Mentor of the Year Award Category

Dieter Storbeck from Bigen
Waseemah Isaacs from Knight Piésold
Tumisang Gabriel from SMEC South Africa

The Mentoring Company of the Year Award Category

AvenirHoldings
Bigen Group
Ensync Engineers
Jones & Wagener
Makhaotse, Narasimulu and Associates

The Business Excellence Award Category

Bigen Group
BVi Consulting Engineers
ROMH Consulting

Projects Less Than R50 million Category

AECOM for flood damage repairs on various roads Grabouw Area for the Western Cape Government: Transport Infrastructure
BVi Consulting Engineers for the Rehabilitation Of Road Infrastructure for Century City Property Owners Association
Infraconsult for the Thulamela Roads and Stormwater Master Plan for Thulamela Local Municipality
Knight Piésold for the Cooling Tower Structural Assessment and Repair Methodologies Project for Palabora Mining Company HBIS
Maninga Engineering for the WITS Roy McAlpine Adult Burns Unit
MPAMOT for the Upgrade of Divisional Road 1458 for the Western Cape Government Department of Infrastructure
Naidu Consulting for the Canelands Pipe and Pedestrian Bridge for the eThekwini Municipality
Pienaar & Erwee Engineers for the Radley Landgoed Microgrid and Hybrid PV Installation
Atana for the Mountain View Low-Cost Housing Project for the Western Cape Government Department of Human Settlements and Department of Energy

Projects Ranging from R50 million to less than R250 million Award Category

AECOM for the improvement of N2 Beacon Way Intersection on National Route 2 Section 8 for Sanral
AECOM for Vanrhyns Pass Rehabilitation for the Western Cape Government: Transport Infrastructure
Ensync Engineers for the Mpolweni Water Supply Project for the uMgungundlovu District Municipality
Jones & Wagener for the Rehabilitation of the Sinkholes on National Road R21 Section 2 Northbound, for Sanral
Nyeleti Consulting for the Rehabilitation and Strengthening of National Road R504 Section 4 for Sanral
Zutari for the Simba Isando Project for PepsiCo
SMEC for the Arbeidsgenot Primary School for the Free State Department of Education, by the Development Bank of South Africa
Zutari for the N1 Sinkhole Repair Project for Sanral

Projects Ranging from R250 million to less than R1 billion Award Category

Bosch Projects for the Vlakfontein Reservoir and Associated Infrastructure for Rand Water
MSW Consulting and Naidu Consulting Joint Venture, for The Augmentation of Nsezi Water Treatment Works for uMngeni-uThukela Water
WSP for the Menlyn Maine Residential Phase 2 Project, for the Menlyn Maine Development Company
Zutari for the N2 Slope Stabilisation Project for Sanral
WSP for Project Raptor for South32
Zutari for The Rubik Project for Abland

Mega Projects greater than R1 billion Award Category

Jones & Wagener for the Development of the Narrow Hot Strip Mill Facility for Scaw Metals
WSP for the delivery of Eskom’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project for Eskom
Zutari for the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone Project for the Coega Development Corporation

Best International Project Award Category

Bigen for Upgrading of the Railway line between Walvis Bay and Kranzberg in Namibia, for the Ministry of Works and Transport Namibia
Knight Piésold for Karowe Diamond Mine Fine Residue Deposit (FRD2) Project, for Lucara Botswana
MPAMOT for the Construction of Advance Infrastructure Civil Works and Utilities at Podihadi and Katse in Lesotho, for the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
SMEC for the Upgrading of Ha Mpiti to Sehlaba-thebe Road in Lesotho, for the Lesotho Roads Directorate
Zutari for the Kenya Wine Agencies Ltd Tatu City Greenfield Project, in Kenya
MPAMOT for Construction of Polihali Village in Lesotho, for the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority
Zutari for Projecto Ravina Mussungue in Angola, for Afavias Engenharia e Construções

Engineering Technology and Innovation: Water Sanitation and Hygiene Design Excellence Award Category