JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation took part in the Innovative Building Technologies Summit held at the Nasrec Expo Centre on 3 and 4 February 2026, an event convened by the Department of Human Settlements to address housing and infrastructure challenges through new construction methods.
During the summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a keynote address in which he called on stakeholders to “embrace the tide of technology” and to work faster and at lower cost to respond to South Africa’s housing and infrastructure needs.
The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and its entities presented advanced building technologies, including 3D printing or additive manufacturing, capable of constructing a fully built house in as little as eight hours. The technology demonstrated how innovation can speed up housing delivery while lowering costs and reducing environmental impact.
On 3 February, Director General of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Mlungisi Cele moderated a high level session on supply side challenges affecting the implementation of innovative building technologies. The department was represented by Dr Tshepang Mosiea, who served on a panel alongside Mr R Somanje of Agrément South Africa, Ms T Bouwer of the National Home Builders Registration Council, Dr C van Reenen of the CSIR, and Ms B Moeng of the Green Building Council South Africa. Discussions focused on regulatory processes, quality assurance, and climate resilient construction.
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