Our Own Pride and Joy!

Dear Colleagues

Allow me to share with you very exciting news that occurred during
the month of May 2018. We have in our midst, in fact, for the first
time, two admirable Quantity Surveyors who have done this
company very proud by meritoriously cracking yet another career
milestone within our walls.

These individuals heeded our call to run a course that defines
excellence, severity and dedication in becoming a fully-fledged
professional within this exciting knowledge management industry
that we serve. They have reclassed the interpretation that defines
the art of career growth and foremost the understanding that
there is no secret to success other than preparation, hard work and learning from failure, and this was very well done.

A lot of us would like to think that this is pure luck, but I beg to differ and rather share my belief which embodies that luck is a factor of thinking and we become lucky only when we give our best as they both clearly did.

To those that are still in pursuit of their APC – let this be a beacon of light and encouragement to always remember that the key to success in anything you do is to “study while others sleep, work while others loaf around, prepare while others are playing and dream while others just wish”.

With those kind words, please join me in congratulating our “Rising Stars”, Ms Lebo Masera and Ms Esther Rwelamila, who passed their APC during the month of May 2018.

“A sigh of relief to you both, you have finally done it and most of all 
Congratulations on your great achievement! You have made MW&S very proud!!!”

Qinisani Mbatha
Managing Director

Introducing Frans van der Walt to our organisation

It is with much delight that I should introduce to you and welcome Frans van der Walt to our organisation:

Frans joined the Johannesburg office as the Office Manager effective from 1 May 2018.

Frans is a registered professional Quantity Surveyor (PrQS, MAQS) with well over 29 years’ experience, of which 25 had been spent in a senior management and shareholding position, and 19 years in a chief executive position, managing his own practice. He has spent 28 years in Richards Bay, a vibrant town in the northern part of KwaZulu-Natal.

Frans has gained extensive experience on various types of projects as Quantity Surveyor, and evolved into Principal Agency and Project Management role for the selected clients that he served. In recent years Frans played a significate role as Strategic Development Advisor to prospective Industrialists, pursuing the development of mega projects in the Richards Bay. He played a leading role in assisting developers to ensure successful developments, through pro-active advisory and risk-management, etc. services. Frans is a team player.

For all his previous roles and the leadership he demonstrated together with the huge repository of strategic development information on the northern KZN region, he has been recognised by various Professional and Business Representative bodies for the engagement and strategic role he played, namely:

  • KZN Regional Committees for ASAQS KZN
  • Zululand Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ZCCI)
  • Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ)
    and many others.

    Frans joins the dynamic team in the Johannesburg office to assist with the maintenance of our quality standards to our existing clientele and to those whom we are pursuing in offering our tailored service/s.

    Please join me in welcoming Frans who will be working with all of us in our different capacities, fulfilling yet another goal setting task ahead of making centenary a reality for Mbatha Walters and Simpson.

    Qinisani Mbatha
    Managing Director

    Mbatha Walters and Simpson were the Quantity Surveyors on the Busamed Bram Fischer International Airport Hospital

    Premier Ntombela has officially opened the newly built state of the art hospital and took the time to meet the first baby delivered at Busamed Bram Fischer International Airport Hospital Emmanuel was born on the 23rd of April 2018 AT 10:17AM.

    Accompanied by Director General Dr Kopung Ralikontsane, MEC for Health Butana Khompela and HOD of Department of Health Mr Modau, Premier embarked on an extensive walkabout of the facility in the process engaging the staff members of the hospital. #reahlasela #wehavedelived

    Ian Furter appointed Regional Director

    In line with our long term strategic objective to developing and empowering a sustainable leadership model in our national footprint and furthering the goals set in reaching our centenary with a dream team, we have now consolidated this desire in the Durban office.

    The board of Mbatha Walters & Simpson (Pty) Ltd is delighted to announce the recent placement of yet another dynamic individual, Mr Ian Furter, to the position of Regional Director in our Durban office. Mr Furter will occupy this office in his new position effective from the 01st March 2018.

    A Regional Director entails a great deal of responsibility which we are very confident that Mr Furter, with his sterling record in the quantity surveying profession and well-grounded leadership qualities as recently demonstrated in his previous capacity at Mbatha Walters & Simpson, will be managed with outmost diligence.

    Ian’s appointment is therefore without doubt a very important turning point for MW&S and we are confident his input will have a positive impact, and assist in further expanding our reach and improve the value of our services to our clientele.

    Please join me in wishing Ian a very successful fulfilling attribute in his new leadership role. Once again we are excited with this addition to our management that he shall hold the MW&S flag with pride and contribute greatly to the diverse skillset the company holds.

    Adam Webber appointed Regional Director

    A progressive and ingenious attempt to further the company’s centenary vision with a dream team that is fit for purpose is nearing its set goals as once expressed during our 80th Anniversary.

    This attempt has a founding desire to reach a centenary with a capable and visionary team full of zest, and who with the passage of time would have matured to heed the call in waving the company’s flag for the next generation/s.

    Mbatha Walters & Simpson (Pty) Ltd is very pleased and more so inspired without any doubt that such a sterling desire has now been fulfilled. It is with such delight and confidence that we announce the appointment of Adam Webber as the Regional Director in the Cape Town Office. Adam occupies this office in his new position effective from 01st March 2018.

    Through this appointment and Adam’s well-grounded record in the quantity surveying profession, the company’s tailored operational and management expertise are strengthened. We believe that Adam in his geographic reach shall discharge that responsibility with the utmost diligence, therefore adding value to our clientele.

    Please join me in congratulating Adam in his new position fulfilling an exciting yet goal setting task making the centenary a reality for Mbatha Walters & Simpson (Pty) Ltd.

    Qinisani Mbatha
    Managing Director

    Mbatha Walters & Simpson construction cost management

    In the 70s and 80s the management of people within an organisation was dealt with by the “Personnel Department”, whose role was largely limited to recruitment, payroll and benefits.

    
In the 80s and 90s there was a growing realisation that people management had a more significant role to play and the concept of “Strategic Human Resources” emerged. The Personnel Department became known as the “Human Resources (HR) Department, and its role was expanded to include learning and development, organisational design and the development of “total remuneration” packages which included benefits, share options and bonuses, serving as a central point of communication for employee health and engagement. Heads of HR were recognised as critical contributors to business strategy and execution, and HR became seen as more than a business function.

    • 
While strategic HR remains a focus today, the concept of talent management has evolved as a means to tackle a new set of strategic issues, some of which include:
    • Developing managers and leaders better to reinforce culture, instil values and create a sustainable “leadership pipeline”;
    • Identifying competency gaps quickly to enable the delivery of training, e-learning, or development programmes to fill these gaps;
    • Managing people in a consistent and measurable way so that everyone is aligned, held accountable and paid fairly;
    • Identifying successors to key positions throughout the organisation to ensure that the organisation is highly flexible and responsive; and
    • Providing learning that is relevant, flexible, convenient and timely.

    Today talent management provides a more integrated and direct approach to the collaboration between HR, performance enhancement and business management in real-time.

    
Within our own organisation, it is with delight that I introduce to you and welcome the following three newcomers:

    Mr Roland Böhmer, who recently joined the company in the capacity of QS Consultant in the Durban office, will extend his role as acting Office Manager in Pietermaritzburg from 1 May 2017.

    Roland brings with him an impressive and well-rounded record in the quantity surveying profession which spans over 37 years in all sectors of the built environment.

    Roland looks forward to getting to know all of you, both old and new, and I’m sure given the opportunity you will also like to know more about him.

    Thabo Litlhakanyane is a new Junior Quantity Surveyor starting out at MW&S. He brings with him a passion for construction and finance, an eagerness and willingness to learn, grow and mature into the construction cost management profession.

    Dianne Radloff is the new Executive PA in my office.

    PMR.Africa Diamond Arrow Award

    PMR.Africa

    have once again conducted an annual survey on quantity surveying practices in South Africa.

    Respondents for the survey which included Architects, Consulting Engineers, Construction Companies and Property Developers, were requested to rate quantity surveying practices on a list of attributes which included budget/cost control, commitment, co-operation, responsiveness and timeous completion.

    After receiving numerous awards over the years, including Diamond, Gold and Bronze Arrow, at the breakfast hosted on the 8th May, MWS achieved first place in the category of medium-sized quantity surveying firms, and were awarded the prestigious Diamond Arrow Award. The Diamond Arrow Award was first awarded to MWS in 2002, then again in 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2011.

    The management of MWS acknowledge that this and previous awards are only possible through the continued efforts and contribution of each employee who form the members of team MWS, and this achievement is in recognition of your efforts and support.

    Well done to each of you and thank you for making this possible.


    Company News

    Mbatha Walters and Simpson
    is proud to announce that we have once again been awarded the Golden Arrow Award for Quantity Surveying Services Excellence at the annual PMR.africa Leaders and Achievers Awards in April 2015.

    Background on the Survey:
    PMR.africa completed its annual national survey on quantity surveyors in South Africa. The respondents rated the quantity surveyors across a range of 9 attributes, namely:

    • Black Economic Empowerment (BEE)
    • Budget/cost control
    • Commitment to the project
    • Control of assignment
    • Cooperation with client
    • Reliable data
    • Reputation of firm (i.e. perception of the firm’s brand, integrity, CSI)
    • Responsiveness
    • Timeous completion

    The ratings were based on the perceptions of the respondents.
    Read more

    Company Announcement

    Along a decent change
    comes a challenging era for those that are left behind, however this is certainly not the case with our Durban office.

    As from the 01st March 2015, David Griffiths, our long serving Director who has been manag-ing the office in Durban, has since retired his position as both a Director of the firm and office bearer of the Durban office. He has assumed a less demanding role of being a Consultant who will from time to time be at the office to assist with many of the current projects that are under administration.

    For most of us still with the firm, we appreciate that we can still tap into his wisdom and invaluable insight in project cost control and management. The time that he has reluctantly, with much persuasion, apportioned from his retirement, will be used to validate a great deal of development of our staff and overseeing on the senior tier of the organisation.
    Read more