Walter Sisulu University’s new Engineering Faculty in East London stands as a bold architectural statement that merges African heritage with modern engineering transparency. Designed by Anita Cartwright of MDS Architecture, the institutional development required materials capable of delivering authentic aesthetic warmth while withstanding demanding coastal conditions.

Work is underway by GVK-Siya Zama to restore and structurally reinforce critical sections of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, one of South Africa’s most significant academic health institutions. The project is part of a programme to reinstate services and improve fire safety compliance.

Twenty-five cruise ships are scheduled to dock in Gqeberha this season, nine of them staying overnight. That kind of footfall brings opportunity, and it also raises an important question: who is ready to meet it? At a time when the hospitality sector faces critical skills shortages and youth unemployment continues to weigh heavily on communities, the true measure of tourism growth lies in whether it creates meaningful, local opportunity.

Each year, World Engineering Day, celebrated on 4 March, recognises the engineers and problem-solvers shaping a more resilient, sustainable world. This year’s global theme of ‘SMART Engineering for a Sustainable Future through Innovation and Digitalisation’ marks the decisive shift in how organisations approach both.

The near-century-old structure is being carefully repurposed as a collaborative workspace, demonstrating how heritage buildings can remain powerful engines of community and economic life.