Double Victory at the Steel Awards 2025
Futurecon Wins Best Light Steel Frame Project and Best Overall Steel Project (All Categories) – Western Cape

The Steel Awards 2025 brought together almost 600 people from across the steel construction value chain to celebrate something bigger than individual projects. It was a celebration of an industry that has absorbed pressure, adapted to change and continued to deliver world-class work in a complex environment.

Presented by the Southern African Institute for Steel Construction (SAISC), this red-carpet evening merged black-tie stiffness with flamboyant Moulin Rouge flair, turning Emperors Palace into a mix of feathers, top hats and serious steel talk on 23 October 2025.

Guided through the evening by MC Vafa Naraghi, the event combined glamour with a clear message: despite supply disruptions, policy shifts and global uncertainty, South Africa’s steel industry is not standing still. It is innovating, collaborating and proving that a strong local steel ecosystem is both possible and active.

As Institute CEO Amanuel Gebremeskal reminded the audience, the impact of the Steel Awards reaches far beyond the room on the night.

“Our reach as the Institute in terms of media, when we promote these projects after the Steel Awards, is so far that we get requests from every corner of the world asking if South Africans can build the most exciting projects, and our answer is always in the affirmative, that we can. As the world moves further into the cloud, we remain one of the few industries that’s grounded to support a modern society.”

His message underscored the global visibility of local expertise, and the increasingly important role South African steel plays in shaping the infrastructure, industries and economies of the future.

Light Steel, Big Impact: The New Orleans Primary Story
Winner of the Light Steel Frame category, New Orleans Primary School is a clear example of steel construction making a direct social impact. Using light steel framing, the project team was able to deliver new classrooms and facilities quickly, with far less disruption than a conventional build would have caused on an active school campus.

The LSF system allowed for precise, factory-controlled components that came together on site with clean lines and consistent quality. For the learners and teachers, the result is a set of bright, modern spaces that are comfortable, robust and easy to maintain.

New Orleans Primary School shows how smart use of steel is not only about structural efficiency. It is also a practical tool for delivering better environments for education and community life, at the speed and scale that South Africa needs.

What the Awards Say About the Sector
Taken together, the 2025 winners and commendations send several important signals about the state of the steel-construction sector:

The industry has absorbed supply-chain shocks and reorganised around new realities without losing quality.
There is a visible shift toward innovation and sustainability, with projects like 96 Rissik Street, Lycopodium Modular Plant and Sasol Wood CF 2 demonstrating new ways of working.
Light steel frame and advanced cladding solutions are steadily becoming central to the industry’s toolkit.
South African companies continue to play a leading role in major projects across the region, strengthening the case for a resilient local ecosystem.
Most importantly, the Awards confirm that South Africa has the skills, capacity and resourcefulness to keep its steel-construction sector world class, even under pressure.