As South Africa looks ahead to a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future, Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) has announced the finalists for the 2025 CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards. These 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.”
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 Royal HaskoningDHV
- 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 Avenir Holdings
- 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 road Grabouw Area
- BVi Consulting Engineers for the rehabilitation of road infrastructure in Century City
- Infraconsult for the Thulamela Local Municipality Roads and Stormwater Master Plan
- Knight Piésold for the Palabora Mining Company HBIS – Cooling Tower Structural Assessment and Repair Methodologies Project
- Maninga for the Wits Roy McAlpine Adult Burns Unit
- MPAMOT for the Realignment and Upgrading of Divisional Road 1458 (DR01458), Western Cape
- Naidu Consulting for the Canelands Pipe and Pedestrian Bridge Project
- Pienaar & Erwee for the Radley Landgoed Microgrid and Hybrid PV Installation
- Royal HaskoningDHV for the Mountain View Low-Cost Housing Project
Projects Ranging from R50 Million to Less Than R250 Million Award category
- AECOM for the for the improvement of N2 Beacon Way Intersection on National Route 2 Section 8
- AECOM for Vanrhyns Pass
- Ensync Engineers for the Mpolweni Water Supply Project
- Jones & Wagner for the National Road R21 sinkhole project
- Nyeleti for the Rehabilitation and Strengthening of National Road R504 Section 4
- Zutari for the PepsiCo Simba Isando project
- SMEC for the Arbeidsgenot Primary School
- Zutari for the N1 Sinkhole Repair Project
Projects Ranging from R250 Million to Less Than R1 Billion Award category
- Bosch for the Vlakfontein Reservoir Project
- Bosch Projects for the Vlakfontein Reservoir
- MSW for the Augmentation of Nsezi Water Treatment Works, Richards Bay – MSW-Naidu JV
- WSP for the Menlyn Maine Residential phase 2 (MMR2) Project
- Zutari for the N2 Slope Stabilisation Project
- WSP for Project Raptor
- Zutari for The Rubik Project
Mega Projects Greater Than R1 Billion Award category
- Jones & Wagner for the Development of the Narrow Hot Strip Mill Facility at Scaw Metals, Germiston
- WSP for the delivery of Eskom’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project
- Zutari for the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone Project
Best International Project Award category
- Bigen for Upgrading of the Railway line between Walvis Bay and Kranzberg
- Knight Piésold for Karowe Diamond Mine Fine Residue Deposit (FRD2) Project
- MPAMOT for Contract LHDA 4018A Civil Works and Utilities
- SMEC for the Ha Mpiti to Sehlabathebe Road Upgrade
- Zutari for the Kenya Wine Agencies Ltd Tatu City Greenfield Project
- MPAMOT for Contract LHDA 4018B – Construction of Polihali Village
- Zutari for Projecto Ravina Mussungue, Angola
Engineering Technology and Innovation: Water Sanitation and Hygiene Design Excellence Award category
- Ingerop for the Raising of Hazelmere Dam
The CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards is set to take place on 21 August 2025 at Vodacom World, in Midrand.