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MEET THE MENTORS BEHIND THE CONSTRUCTION ENTERPRISES TRAINING SYSTEM SYSTEM

Let’s meet the mentors behind the Construction Enterprises Training System: Jeffrey Frank Pipe and Bongani Sean Ndlovu.

Jeff and Bongani have been extensively involved in the mentorship and training of construction contractors for many years.  Further to their extensive experience in mentoring and training in the construction industry, they are both well qualified in these built environment works.

All of the content you will find throughout the online learning and mentorship system has been written and produced by them, exclusively for the Construction Enterprises Training System. It encompasses a wealth of knowledge and skills which they have personally gained throughout many years within the construction industry and built environment. The best part about their experience is that they have chosen to share their knowledge and skills with all licenced users.

Jeffrey Pipe

About Jeffrey Frank Pipe:

Jeff Pipe, born and educated in South Africa, has 37 years of experience working in the South African construction sector. He proudly shares the following history and qualifications:

  • Registered Professional Engineer: Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) since 1994
  • Registered professional Construction Project Manager: South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Profession (SACPCMP) since 2005
  • Registered professional Construction Mentor: South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Profession (SACPCMP) since 2012.

Jeff has the following:

  • National Diploma in Civil Engineering
  • National Higher Diploma in Civil Engineering
  • Civil Eng Occus (University of Cape Town)
  • Management Development Program (Gibbs, University of Pretoria)
  • Certificate in Arbitration (Association of Arbitrators SA).

Jeff has been involved in the roll-out of several diverse projects for the government and private sectors. These range in scope from roads, bridges, sewer & water, urban upgrades, buildings, residential developments, schools, renewable energy, mine, and process plant works.

During this time, he has been extensively involved with the mentorship of many individuals within the construction industry. He has built a strong track record of time devoted to helping individuals and companies within the built environment.

Over the years, Jeff has identified a need within the construction industry to encapsulate and fine-tune his training modules to enable South African SMMEs (Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises)/ Emerging Contractors/to receive the full benefit of essential training on how to implement reliable systems within their own companies to manage successful construction projects.

While it is understood that ‘working experience’ is one of the key factors for achieving success within the construction industry, Jeff has identified that both the experienced and the inexperienced would benefit greatly from having basic construction management systems in place. These systems would assist them in achieving successful project outcomes, something he has witnessed first-hand throughout the years.

The core of his training programme focuses on how these systems can be implemented to achieve better outcomes for the SMME in key areas such as managing programmes, budgets, quality, health and safety, and risk.

It’s about having simple but reliable systems in place that will impact the improvement of construction projects and help SMMEs/Emerging Contractors become the next wave of CIDB-level 8 and 9 contractors that are equipped and ready to make a significant contribution to the future of South Africa.

Jeff has been extensively involved with training and mentoring hundreds of people in both construction management and project management within South Africa as well as in Africa.

Jeff has been involved in various audits (some being Government forensic audits) on construction projects, identifying where things have gone wrong and why these have gone wrong and bringing these learnings to this system.

Bongani Ndlovu

About Bongani Sean Ndlovu:

Bongani Ndlovu was born and raised in Johannesburg. He proudly shares the following history and qualifications:

  • He has worked in the construction industry for 14 years as a Project Manager, Engineering Technician, and SMME Mentor.
  • Project Management N6 attained at the University of Johannesburg
  • N6 Building and Civil Engineering studies qualification earned at the Central Johannesburg College.
  • He has work experience in Project Management, having worked on projects in and around Johannesburg from 2008, when he started as an internee for a City of Johannesburg Learnership initiative.
  • This was followed by full-time employment as a project manager and SMME mentor since June 2009.
  • In the last 8 years, Bongani has given most of his focus to the mentorship of Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMME)/ Emerging Contractors and has successfully mentored several SMME/Emerging Contractors on a large variety of projects.

While Bongani started as a project manager and learnt the importance of rolling out projects to the six stages of the project life cycle (Stage 1: initiation & briefing, Stage 2: Concept & Viability; Stage 3: Design Development; Stage 4: Tender Documentation & Procurement; Stage 5: implementation/construction; Stage 6: Project close out) and then applying the project management knowledge areas (Budget, time, quality, health & safety, communication, stake holder, risk, procurement, contracts, integration, etc) he always found himself engaging with and assisting the SMME/Emerging Contractors/Targeted Enterprises on the project, to get them over the line. Bongani was doing this long before he ‘evolved’ from a project manager to a construction mentor. 

Bongani is an experienced mentor, thanks to the many successful projects and working years behind him. He has taken up the role of the mentor and is also a natural mentor in that he has a deep passion for improving the built environment sector by assisting those who have not had the opportunity to develop experience in managing construction contracts. He always strives to make a very positive improvement to all of those on his site.

Bongani has become the ‘Mentor of Choice’ for many of his clients; not only has he got the technical knowledge on how to assist the smaller contractors, but he is also able to align very well with their needs and assist them in identifying solutions that have kept his sites calm and productive.