DELIVERING TRUSTWORTHY

CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS
 FIRM
F O U N DAT I O N S

An unpredictable economic landscape has resulted in continued

modifications within the African construction industry of late.
Deon Robinson, Managing Director of WBHO Building Africa, shares
how his company stays abreast of these changes
Writer: Lily Sawyer | Project Manager: Kierron Rose

A
s the African construction industry continues to
face political instability, currency fluctuations, and
associated turbulence, many businesses have been
left picking up the pieces.
However, the robust business model of WBHO
Construction Pty Ltd (WBHO), built on a foundation of
trusting client relations, meticulous planning, and a strong
and dependable team of employees, has ensured that the
company is able to rise above any challenge.
Whilst staff and resources can sometimes be limited, and

2 | Africa Outlook Issue 105


varying conditions present obstacles, WBHO prides itself
on implementing forward planning to ensure that projects
can always be completed on time and within budget.
“As we all know, there are certain countries where the
risk is just too high, so we choose locations where we have
WBHO CONSTRUCTION PTY LTD
CONSTRUCTION
a footprint and understand the local people, local law, and
the weather conditions,” opens Deon Robinson, Managing
Director of WBHO Building Africa.
Robinson has been fascinated by the construction
industry for over 33 years. His involvement in WBHO
Africa Outlook Issue 105 | 3
over the past 14 years has seen him
participate in cross-border projects
whilst experiencing a variety of
cultures and countries has been of
interest, including projects within
South Africa’s borders.
“The dynamics of working across
borders are very different from inland
projects, and you get to meet and
understand people from all different
countries and diverse cultures,” he
explains.
Robinson, whose commitment
to the African construction market
remains strong, believes that wider
external investment will help it to grow.
“There is huge potential in the
African market, and there are investors
out there who will spend their money
in stable regions, so we just have to
be patient and look out for the right
opportunity,” Robinson clarifies.
DIFFERENT FROM THE
COMPETITION
As a company, WBHO prides itself
on standing out from the crowd.
According to Robinson, this can be
attributed to a company culture that
WBHO has worked hard to cultivate,
4 | Africa Outlook Issue 105
where employees take priority.
“It boils down to a culture where
safety, training, recognition, and the
future of all our employees are our
highest priority,” Robinson explains.
Compared to others, WBHO
is a company that possesses
considerable continuity within
the construction industry, whilst
its senior management team is
experienced, well-versed, and
capable.
Indeed, for WBHO, it is the people
behind the company that make
all the difference, both in terms
of capability and in securing the
sustainability of the enterprise itself.
Within the landscape of South
Africa’s renewable energy infrastruc-
ture, WBHO is growing. As an area of
attention for future development, the
company recognises that the renew-
able energy market has the potential
to expand WBHO nationally and
further into the rest of the world.
Africa’s renewable energy output
is not currently on par with that of
sustainability giants in Europe. Going
forward, however, the company is
hopeful for change.
WBHO’S COMPANY
CULTURE – AT A
GLANCE
• The ‘WBHO Way’ includes a
strong culture of professionalism
and respect.
• Extensive industry experience
is built on the foundation of
responsive senior management.
• A conservative approach to risk
management leads to risk-
taking outside of a traditional
construction skill set.
• WBHO’s presence in all
divisions across 12 countries
and two continents points
to its capability to pursue
opportunities across numerous
geographies.
• A broad technical range of
products and services leads to
sector specialisation.
• WBHO’s 2023 projects point to
its ability to consistently execute
large-scale projects.
 WBHO CONSTRUCTION PTY LTD
E-Facades Ghana Limited is a
Tell us your story and fabricator and installer of Aluminum
Composite Panel Systems,
Aluminum Plate Panel Systems,
we’ll tell the world Curtain wall systems, Sunshades,
insulated metal panel systems,
windows, doors, single skin
systems, and trellises.
E-Facade’s principals and
management have numerous
years combined experience
in architectural metal design,
fabrication, and installation.
www.africaoutlookmag.com/work-with-us
Diversity • Attitude • Unity • Longevity • Transformation
BUILDING AN EMPIRE
Our vision is to be the world’s leading
developer and constructor of modern
developments in retail, commercial, and
residential spaces. We envision building
an empire for employees as well as
surrounding community and investors.
Phone Number RSA: +27 060 484847 | Lesotho Number: +266 578 64699
Email: Pieter.duplooy@dault.co.za | Website: www.dault.co.za
CONSTRUCTION
All installation work is performed
by E-Facade employees.
E Facade has long standing
relationships with Elva GmbH, and
can supply material from all of the
major manufacturers of Aluminum
Composite Material, including
Reynobond, Alucobond, Alpolic
and Intrabond.
efacadesghana.com
We offer:
• Building construction
• Concrete rehabilitation and reinforcing
• Geo-technical rehabilitation
• Jacking (bridges and structures)
• Small works (sub contracting)
• Road marking
• Project rescue (assistance with existing project,
technical, as well as financial)
• Project management services
• New dams and dam repair
• Gunite works
• Slope stabilisation
• Formworks
Africa Outlook Issue 105 | 5
WBHO CONSTRUCTION PTY LTD
CONSTRUCTION
“ I T B O I L S D O W N T O A C U LT U R E W H E R E
S A F E T Y, T R A I N I N G , R E C O G N I T I O N , A N D T H E
F U T U R E O F A L L O U R E M P LOY E E S A R E O U R
HIGHEST PRIORITY”
– D E O N R O B I N S O N , M A N AG I N G D I R E C TO R , W B H O B U I L D I N G A F R I C A
With an abundance of natural
wind and sunshine to facilitate the
production of renewables, and as the
industry is only just taking off in the
country, Africa is well equipped to
fuel a considerable renewable energy
revolution.
ONGOING PROJECTS
Having established a reputation for
quality, reliability, and timely delivery,
WBHO regularly exceeds client
expectations.
The company carries out office and
commercial building construction,
including retail, hotels and resorts,
healthcare, leisure, recreation, and
education, as well as residential
projects.
“WBHO is recognised as a leading
principal contractor in the African
building industry,” Robinson informs.
The company’s many construction
projects, distributed around the
continent, are emblematic of its
recent success.
WBHO’s standalone West Africa
office in Ghana, where the company
has been based for over 20 years,
oversees many of its developments.
Projects in Ghana primarily take
place in the country’s capital, Accra.
Construction was initiated when
WBHO realised that, following the
COVID-19 pandemic, the market and
economy in Ghana began to pick up
between 2022 and 2023.
The company’s operational staff
at all Ghanaian sites are motivated
and hard-working, ameliorated
by WBHO’s ‘employees first’
attitude at both on-the-ground
and management levels. WBHO
is also focusing on moving into
6 | Africa Outlook Issue 105
the data centre space, and further
concentrating on residential
construction.
Project Zambia, completed in late
2023, took place in Lusaka, where the
iconic InterContinental Lusaka and
Holiday Inn Hotels were refurbished
to create a social attraction in the city.
Upgraded conference facilities in the
structures feature new technological
advancements, whilst external works
to the pool areas have been included
in the refurbishment.
This project can be seen as a
prime example of WBHO’s positive
relationship with its subcontractors,
such as on-site agents, quantity
surveyors, engineers, and foremen.
To foster positivity in this instance,
WBHO conducts biweekly meetings
in which the company’s values of
collaboration and teamwork are
prioritised. WBHO understands
that, without its subcontractors, its
projects could not be completed.
WBHO’s Botswana-based projects
include the Botswana Accountancy
College and a refurbishment of the
Diamond Trading Centre (DTC), both
of which are located in the capital city
of Gaborone.
These projects can be seen as
emblematic of the company’s
successful importation of materials
from a range of suppliers, in which
the logistics and procurement supply
chain plays an important role.
Finally, Project Lesotho, located
in Polihali Village in the country’s
Mokhotlong District, will entail the
construction of 110 permanent
housing units, a visitors’ lodge
including a 32-key boutique hotel, a
school, a recreational centre, and a
AFRICA OUTLOOK:
HOW IMPORTANT IS
WBHO’S SUPPLY CHAIN
TO YOUR OPERATIONS?
Deon Robinson, Managing
Director: “We have two chains
of supply – subcontractors
and suppliers. The key with
subcontractors is to form
relationships with upstanding and
worthy companies and make them
part of your team.
“They are not freestanding, and
if managed correctly, they will
be an integral part of the success
of a project, no matter what the
challenge is.
“For suppliers, it is important to
make sure that they are able to
supply products on time, within
budget, at the correct quality
standard, and deliver on time.
“We believe that strong
relationships must be cultivated
with both subcontractors and
suppliers in order to succeed.”
sports facility, with a gross site area of
14,500 square metres (sqm).
The planned construction is located
on top of a mountain, overlooking
the future dam wall and reservoir;
the project’s location is symbolic of
WBHO’s elevated reputation as a
result of its recent growth.
INVESTING IN EMPLOYEES
WBHO brings expertise to each new
undertaking to ensure a guaranteed
level of quality and reliability while
also presenting the company as a hub
for professional development and
growth.
Africa Outlook Issue 105 | 7

To celebrate hard work, employees
are rewarded with an empowering
workplace environment that
prioritises training and nurtures talent
to ensure that the business grows and
develops future leaders from within.
Training and staff development is a
major focus of investment in allowing
WBHO to securely and sustainably
deliver the levels of quality, safety, and
reliability that its name is synonymous
with.
The company ensures that its
most senior people are involved in
the talent hiring process. Successful
candidates then embark on
mentorship programmes with more
senior candidates, who follow their
progress on the scheme and regularly
check in on them, both professionally
and personally.
Prospective employees also under-
take vacation work on WBHO projects,
where they gain invaluable on-site
experience. After graduating from vari-
ous bursary schemes and employment
drives, and joining WBHO full-time,
they will attend engineering schools,
beginning with an initial and extensive
introduction to both the company and
the wider industry.
As they progress, employees can
choose to specialise in engineering
topics before being qualified in a
specific area. Those who go on to
advanced engineering school will
have been in education for close to 10
years.
In addition, young engineers
and quantity surveyors are offered
further guidance with various support
systems within WBHO to become
professionally registered through the
South African Council for the Project
and Construction Management
Professions (SACPCMP), the
Engineering Council of South
Africa (ECSA), and Management
Development Programme (MDP)
courses.
Those that emerge with
management development
qualifications usually opt to fulfil a
managerial role within the wider
WBHO corporation.
Finally, sponsorship programmes
for engineers and quantity surveyors
are also designed to pair directors
with trainees as a means of further
progression.
POWERFUL PRODUCTION
At present, a large portion of WBHO’s
business model is based on engaging
with speciality subcontractors that
undertake a large proportion of
labour, reducing the need to maintain
a large complement of staff.
However, this model differs from
country to country; for example,
WBHO directly employs 70 percent
of the labour involved in Project
Lesotho and Polihali.
On the production side of the
business, WBHO has a structured
training programme whereby
foremen attain a South African
National Qualifications Framework
(NQF) registration or follow an
accredited skills development course.
“These are people who typically
don’t have a diploma or a degree but
possess many years of construction
experience and have come up
through our ranks. We have a huge
push to get them through these
programmes, and currently, more
than 80 percent of our foremen have
these accredited qualifications,”
Robinson shares.
“The main objective in the coming
WBHO CONSTRUCTION PTY LTD
CONSTRUCTION
year is to grow the order book and
create more job opportunities in
select African countries.”
These comprehensive programmes
ensure that all WBHO talent is
well-equipped and prepared to hit
the ground running, with a solid
understanding of what is expected of
them and how to perform their work
safely in an environment that respects
them and their contributions.
WBHO prides itself on a target
of zero harm to all people at its
workplaces. The company believes
that this begins with leadership and
a strong commitment to having a
safe organisation, whilst this ethos is
cultivated and prioritised through the
collective behaviours and actions of
every person in the workplace.
On its Polihali project alone, WBHO
carried over 2.7 million working hours,
in which none was lost to injury time.
Notably, the Building Africa division as
a whole has avoided lost injury time for
over 13 years, owing to its passionate
commitment to health and safety.
“Safety, training, recognition, and
the future of all our employees are our
highest priority,” concludes
Robinson.
WBHO CONSTRUCTION PTY LTD
Tel: 011 321 7200
wbhoho@wbho.co.za
www.wbho.co.za
Africa Outlook Issue 105 | 9
DELIVERING TRUSTWORTHY
CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS

WBHO CONSTRUCTION
Tel: 011 321 7200
wbhoho@wbho.co.za
www.wbho.co.za

PRODUCED BY AFRICA OUTLOOK MAGAZINE