Sixteen years into the ‘five-year plan’

Construction Manager S’koko Matshaya was born and raised in Elliotdale in the Eastern Cape – in his words “the poorest town in the poorest province” – and is the fourth of six children. His parents, both teachers, were able to provide for the family, including supporting their children’s academic and intellectual growth, and their mental wellbeing. “Growing up in the ‘rurals’, there are fewer negative influences and distractions,” says S’koko. “We’d basically go to school, come home, spend time with the family, play outdoors, kick the ball…” 

As a young boy he used to tell his father that he wanted to be a truck driver, because it would enable him to travel places. However, when the time came to seriously consider his career path, an article on civil engineering sold him on that occupation. “My father bought the Daily Dispatch (he still does to this day) and showed me this article on civil engineering,” relates S’koko. “As I read it, I had a growing certainty that this was what I had to do. It said that wherever you go, you will leave an ever-lasting impact. You will meet new people and go to new places; build relationships all the time; learn new cultures, new languages and new ways of living; and no project will be like the other. THAT WAS IT! And there isn’t a day that I have regretted my choice.” 

During 2008 S’koko successfully applied to do his in-service training with ASLA. That year he gained experience doing civil infrastructure construction on projects in Delft, Kingswood Golf Estate and finally in Napier.  After completing his Civil Engineering Diploma at CPUT in 2009, he joined ASLA full-time in 2010.  

 The five-year plan 

S’koko intended to work for ASLA for at least five years, during which time he would be able to gather industry experience within a company that was reputed for high quality and offered an incredible learning environment.  “It doesn’t matter who you talk to in the local industry,” he explains, “ASLA, as an employer, is known for exposing people to many different things, and never compromising on their quality.” He feels strongly that new entrants into the industry should find a company where they can gain experience and commit to at least three to five years, rather than job hopping. “If someone is investing their time and money in you, it’s also important to show appreciation and prove your worth,” he says.  

 As the years went by and that five-year mark passed, S’koko realised that he was not only gaining valuable experience, but was also slowly making his way up the career ladder. He had also learned a new language and his confidence to hold conversations in Afrikaans grew. 

In 2015, when he was in the position of senior site engineer, he enrolled at CPUT again, this time to study part-time towards his B-Tech in Civil Engineering Construction Management. “Studying part-time was helpful, because whatever we were learning in class, I would be doing on site,” he says, “However, it was quite demanding and at times difficult to juggle both work, home and studies.” 

Challenges  

In his opinion, two of the toughest challenges within the construction industry are the weather and the people. “We cannot ‘manage’ or change the weather, but we can work on relationships and create a conducive working environment,” he says. “I’m obsessed about building respectful relationships, finding out what people are about and what they want to achieve.” 

His thirst for experience and the learning opportunities that once drew him to ASLA as a novice, are part of the reason he thrives on the mentorship culture within the company. “When bursar students join us on site, I’m excited, as we have an empty vessel that has just arrived, waiting to be filled. It is of course great to help someone build a career, but I also don’t want to be stuck with people who are not good, and if I train them well, in particular with regard to the quality ASLA expects, then I know that I will have less to worry about.” 

 Dignity Through Infrastructure 

Part of the pull of the industry is the impact of being a catalyst for good and among the many things he enjoys about working in the industry, the two that stand out for him the most are relationships and being able to bring something to completion. “As we go to different places, we keep building new relationships, meeting new people and having a new impact – just as that article so many years ago promised,” he says. He also speaks of the immense satisfaction a team feels, after sleepless nights and stress-filled days, when a project is finished and ready to be used by someone. 

“Construction improves the lives of numerous stakeholders – it could be the beneficiary of a house, who is now able to offer his family more safety and security; or a labourer on site, earning a living and able to support his family; or a community that now has access to its own sports field,” says S’koko. “Everywhere ASLA goes, I feel like we make a difference.”