Work on the R400-million project started in February last year, with completion expected at the end of June this year. Directly fronting the Apies river and Nelson Mandela Drive, the campus consolidates most of DTI’s departments and agencies onto a four-hectare site.

The 25-year management contract for the facility resides with Rainprop as the concessionaire, the shareholders being Rebserve/Propnet Facilities Management joint venture, Atterbury/Parkdev Property Development joint venture, Rainbow Construction, WBHO, and Zwelinzima Holdings.

Construction of the public–private partnership (PPP) is by WBHO, as 47,5% partner, Zwelinzima Holdings has a 10% share and Rainbow Construction 42,5%.

The design and development contract is being shared by Zwelinzima Holdings, WBHO, the Atterbury/Parkdev Property Development joint ven- ture and Rainbow Construction.

Rainbow Construction MD Errol Burman says the project is “progressing nicely”, although, being the first PPP building project of its kind in South Africa, it has experienced some teething problems, especially in the DTI and the Rainprop consortium understanding each other’s expectations.

The shared services centre, housing the department’s computer server and mail room, was handed over at the beginning of this month. The first phase, Blocks A and B, with Block A housing the Trade and Industry ministry, will be handed over early in April. Blocks C, D, E and F will be handed over in subsequent phases. A nearby building currently under development, named Block G, is also being developed, but is not part of the PPP, and belongs to the Rainprop consortium. The DTI has the first right of refusal to the building, though. No building is higher than three storeys.

The development has 40 000 m2 of basement parking space, and 50 000 m2 of office space. The ground floors of most of the buildings will serve as retail space. Each of the buildings has a different feel and look, explains Burman, but they all share a natural, textured, yet industrial feel, making use of facebrick, stone and aluminium.

There are currently 50 salaried employees on site, and 450 wage earners. There exist several opportunities for permanent employment under the 25-year concession, such as for cleaning and maintenance.

The consortium is so far managing an overall 43% empowerment participation, says Burman, and hopes to even further improve on this figure.