The value of building plans reported as completed by larger municipalities in South Africa in the first ten months of 2005 rose by 42.7% year-on-year (y/y) to 24.729 billion rand, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reported.

This lags considerably the value of building plans passed by larger municipalities, which surged by 55.1% y/y to 56.041 billion rand during the first ten months of 2005. This implies that the current construction boom is set to continue for several quarters yet.

The largest increase in the value of buildings reported as completed was for residential buildings (+55.5%), followed by additions and alterations (+28.7%) and non-residential buildings (+12.5%).

All nine provinces reported increases in the value of buildings completed with the largest y/y increase for Limpopo at 61.8%, while the smallest y/y rise was for KwaZulu-Natal at 24.0%.

The largest contributors to the national increase of 42.7% y/y was Gauteng, with a 20.4% contribution, followed by the Western Cape with 12.7%.

South African cement sales rose by 14.4% y/y in October to a record 1.156 million tons (Mt), the sixth consecutive month this year where sales have topped one Mt, the Cement and Concrete Institute (CNCI) said last week.

This brought the increase in the first ten months of 2005 to 11.8% y/y after sales rose by 17.4% in 2004 compared with a 7.0% rise in 2003.

The largest increase in 2004 was reported for residential buildings completed (up 37.5% to 11.313 billion constant 2000 rand), followed by non- residential buildings (up 8.1% to 2.98 billion constant 2000 rand) and additions and alterations (up 7.8% to 3.039 billion constant 2000 rand). The trend series has been rising since November 2003.

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