Arup strengthened its presence in the southern African region with the integration of Arup South Africa into Arup Group on 1 April 2010.
The company joins existing Arup Group operations in Botswana and Mauritius to provide Arup with a strong foundation for business in the southern Africa region.
- The Johannesburg office was opened on 1 May 1954 by civil engineers Jack Zunz and Mick Lewis.
- Arup has offices in Johannesburg (opened in 1954), Durban (1958) and Cape Town (1965).
- There are more than 380 Arup staff working in South Africa.
- South Africa’s construction industry supports approximately 11% of the country’s workforce.
Projects of influence
Within South Africa, Arup’s projects have had a significant influence on the country and have often played a major part in its changing history. Arup designed a new home for the Constitutional Court of South Africa, inaugurated by President Thabo Mbeki on Human Rights Day in 2004. The official opening was a major political and cultural landmark for South Africa as the first post-apartheid government building to be completed.
The Central Terminal Building (CTB) of OR Tambo International Airport received a South African Institute of Steel Construction award for engineering. The new 100,000m2 CTB was built to accommodate passenger growth in the country and will ultimately see an anticipated 20m passengers a year. It will provide easy movement between the international and domestic terminals and facilities for the new A380 aircraft. It also features an integrated transport network, including a commuter rail service.
The Gautrain Rapid Rail Link is a state-of-the-art rapid rail network planned in Gauteng, linking Tshwane (Pretoria) and Johannesburg, and OR Tambo International Airport with Sandton and Rosebank. The project is part of the local government’s ‘Blue IQ’ initiative and will promote economic growth, development and job creation in the Gauteng province. Arup conducted a study to consider an alternative sustainable route to ensure green belt areas were preserved.
Arup is working as part of a joint venture to provide engineering, procurement and construction management services for a 24-inch diameter, US$2bn New Multi-Products Pipeline (NMPP) from Durban to Johannesburg in South Africa for Transnet. The development of the NMPP is part of South Africa’s energy security strategy, which is necessary to alleviate the identified capacity constraints in the petroleum supply chain by 2010. The pipeline is expected to be operational by 2011.
Arup's work on the upgrade of the infrastructure on Robben Island, Cape Town, helped to maximise its economic, tourist and educational potential. Arup completed a feasibility study identifying the work required on water, waste and road system upgrades. The island is a World Heritage Site, National Monument and National Museum and these improvements ensure it will remain a cultural and conservation site of great importance.
A growing nation
Across the southern Africa region, there are significant water resources but they are distributed unevenly, requiring a focus on security of supply. Arup has worked on several projects addressing the issue of water use and management. The infrastructure for an emergency water supply was provided in the village of Kanye in Botswana and a stormwater masterplan developed for the Limpopo province in South Africa. Arup is also the water and wastewater engineers for the Bel Ombre Integrated Resort Scheme on the South Coast of Mauritius.
Arup in the southern Africa region continues to enter new markets such as mining, transportation and energy with sustainability underpinning many of the projects. A growth in urbanisation is also leading to an increase in opportunities for the developing nation and Arup remains committed to ensuring challenges such as providing access to decent infrastructure and resources such as water, sanitation and power are met.