Staff Reporter
The Construction Industry Development Board (cidb) has called on women using digital technologies and sustainable materials in construction to enter its 2026 Empowerment and Recognition of Women in Construction Awards.
The cidb said on Tuesday that South Africa’s construction industry remained behind global leaders in the adoption of drones, artificial intelligence and other Construction 4.0 tools, with uptake still limited and uneven across the sector.
However, it said there was growing evidence of increased participation and influence by women in the industry, including in technical and leadership roles, contributing to efforts to accelerate digital transformation and close the technology gap.
The board said a recent University of Pretoria study, BIM Adoption and Implementation Trends in the South African AEC Industry, found that while 73% of industry participants were aware of these technologies, practical implementation was still being held back by cost barriers, skills gaps and resistance to change.
“As cidb, we know there are women who are adopting these technologies more and more in their businesses. Through recent engagements at events such as Big 5 Construct South Africa and our own roadshows, we’ve seen real enthusiasm across the industry to start implementing technologies that will improve how we build,” cidb CEO Bongani Dladla said.
Dladla said the cidb wanted this year’s awards to highlight women who were already adopting and implementing new technologies in the sector.
“We are calling on women who are pioneering the integration of digital technologies and sustainable construction materials into traditional building practices, to enter our Innovative Entity of the Year category.”
He said adopting new technology was not only about staying current, but could lead to safer construction sites, reduce costly rework, improve coordination across trades, and boost profitability and sustainability across the built environment.
The ERWIC Awards also include Interior Design and Build Project of the Year, which recognises women-owned projects demonstrating excellence in delivery and meeting client requirements, and Professional Team of the Year, which honours collaborative teams where women hold central leadership roles.
The awards also include Manufacturing Entity of the Year, which spotlights women leading in construction materials production and prefabrication, an area often overlooked in industry awards, as well as Mentoring Entity of the Year, which recognises organisations with effective mentoring programmes supporting women’s career development.
Other categories include Woman Mentor of the Year, honouring individuals dedicated to guiding the next generation of women in construction, and Transformation Entity of the Year, celebrating organisations making measurable progress on gender diversity and inclusion.
The Women with Disability Contractor of the Year category recognises a disabled woman or women-owned entity within the construction industry who is making a difference and contributing to the upliftment and support of other disabled women within the industry.
The cidb said it was particularly urging women to enter because they remained significantly underrepresented in the construction sector.
“The ERWIC Awards aim to encourage excellence among women and motivate women in construction by promoting visible role models, especially in lower-grade construction categories where representation is even more critical. Entry provides recognition of excellence, validates transformation efforts, creates industry visibility for groundbreaking work, and opens networking opportunities with industry leaders,” Dladla said.
Entries close on July 1, 2026 and can be submitted at www.erwicawards-cidb.co.za.
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