On 20 August 2026, the consulting engineering industry gathered at Vodacom World in Midrand for the CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards, an annual celebration of the people, projects and ideas shaping South Africa’s infrastructure landscape.
For Zutari, it was an evening filled with pride and gratitude as colleagues and project teams were recognised across categories, celebrating technical excellence, innovation, mentorship, emerging talent, and the impact engineering can have on people and communities.
While recognition is always a special moment, the true value of an evening like this lies in the opportunity to reflect on the work behind the accolades. Every successful project represents a collective effort involving clients who place their trust in us, teams who bring their expertise and determination to complex challenges, partners who work alongside us to find solutions, and communities whose lives are ultimately touched by the infrastructure we help deliver.
The evening was therefore not simply about celebrating what was achieved, but about celebrating the people and partnerships that make those achievements possible.
Celebrating our people
One of the highlights of the evening was seeing Sachin Ravjee named CESA Young Engineer of the Year, recognition that speaks not only to his technical capability but also to his commitment to advancing the engineering profession and creating opportunities for others. In just eight years, Sachin has progressed from graduate to Associate and Professional Engineer, working on complex bridge projects in South Africa and internationally while contributing to research, mentorship, and knowledge sharing within the profession.
The evening also brought recognition for Louis Joubert, who received the Lifetime Industry Achievement Award, honouring a career spanning more than four decades and an extraordinary contribution to infrastructure delivery across Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa. From major roads and bridges to water resource developments and municipal infrastructure, Louis has brought deep technical knowledge, leadership and practical experience to some of the continent’s most complex projects.
Celebrating engineering with purpose
The projects recognised during the evening offered another powerful reminder of why engineering matters.
The Senqu Bridge, part of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, was named Best International Project, recognising its blend of technical excellence and social purpose. At 825 metres, it is the longest and highest bridge in Lesotho, preserving vital connections for communities affected by the future Polihali Dam, including access to schools, healthcare, work, trade and family. Built in challenging mountain conditions, the project demanded ingenuity, resilience and collaboration. Completed ahead of schedule and within budget, it is its greatest achievement: the continuity it provides for the people who depend on this vital connection every day.
The Koruson Major Transmission Substation Detailed Design, winner of the Mega Projects greater than R1 billion category, highlights the role engineering can play in South Africa’s future. The project is enabling around 1,000 MVA of renewable energy to connect to the national grid, with potential for further expansion, and requires collaboration across disciplines, stakeholders and renewable energy facilities. Projects of this scale demonstrate that infrastructure is about more than individual systems or structures. It is about connecting different pieces, understanding their broader impact, and creating the conditions for economic opportunity, energy security, and a more sustainable future.
The Bethlehem Hydro Modernisation Project, which received a commendation in the category for projects with a value less than R50 million, similarly demonstrates how thoughtful engineering can unlock value from existing infrastructure. Through digital reality capture, advanced modelling and a disciplined assessment of upgrade options, the project is helping improve the performance and resilience of existing hydropower assets while preparing them for changing future conditions.
These projects are very different in scale and context, yet they share a common purpose: to solve real problems in ways that create lasting value for the people and places they serve.
Investing in the next generation
Perhaps one of the most meaningful recognitions was the win in the Job Shadow Day Poster Competition.
For Zutari, Job Shadow Day is more than an annual opportunity for learners to experience an engineering workplace. It forms part of an Emerging Talent Ecosystem that creates a journey from inspiration to opportunity, helping young people discover engineering and access pathways into the profession.
Through partnerships with PROTEC, Go for Gold, SAICE and Primestars, alongside school engagements, bursaries, vacation work, mentorship and graduate opportunities, Zutari is making engineering more accessible.
The journey can come full circle, as demonstrated by Managing Director Mpho Ramphao, who joined Zutari as a learner, received a bursary and progressed into leadership. His story shows what is possible when opportunity, support, mentorship and perseverance come together. Investing in young people is ultimately an investment in our profession, communities and the country’s future.
A celebration of shared impact
As we reflect on the evening, we are proud of the recognition our people and projects have received, while remaining mindful that none of these achievements happens in isolation. Engineering is fundamentally collaborative, and the outcomes we celebrate are shaped by the relationships we build with our clients, partners, contractors, communities and fellow professionals.
Our clients entrust us with challenges that often extend far beyond the technical brief, asking us to help navigate uncertainty, find practical solutions and create infrastructure that will serve people for generations. Our colleagues bring together different disciplines, experiences and perspectives to turn those challenges into possibilities. The communities we work in give meaning to the outcomes we are striving to achieve, reminding us that behind every road, bridge, water system, energy project, or building are people whose lives are connected to what we create.
The CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards gave us an opportunity to celebrate some of those stories, and we are grateful for the recognition. More importantly, the evening reminded us of the responsibility that comes with being part of this profession: to keep learning, to keep challenging ourselves, to develop the people around us and to use our expertise in ways that create meaningful and lasting impact.
Engineering excellence is ultimately about more than awards or individual achievements. It is about bringing people and expertise together to solve problems that matter, creating opportunities for the next generation and working alongside our clients and communities to shape infrastructure that makes a genuine difference.
That is what makes a night of recognition worth celebrating, not simply because of what we have achieved, but because of what it represents and what it inspires us to do next.
