Regulator the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb) has added an Academic Excellence in the Construction and Built Environment Sector category to the 2026 Empowerment and Recognition of Women in Construction (ERWIC) Awards.

This category was created to recognise and celebrate female academics, lecturers and researchers who are advancing resilient construction practices, sustainable infrastructure development and skills development across the sector, the cidb says.

“The new category recognises the academics who shape knowledge, mentor the next generation and strengthen the future of women in construction. By honouring their contributions, we ensure our transformation agenda is rooted in research, innovation and sustainable development,” says cidb CEO Bongani Dladla.

Women remain underrepresented in South Africa’s construction sector and account for only 10% of the workforce, despite ongoing empowerment initiatives.

With the country’s proposed R1.5-trillion infrastructure pipeline, it is vital that women take a greater role in shaping the sector’s future, he says.

The cidb ERWIC Awards highlight the achievements of women-led firms.

For government clients and funding partners, the awards also serve as a valuable reference point for identifying capable, compliant contractors and innovative academic collaborators capable of driving national development priorities, Dladla says.

The cidb ERWIC Awards have been a catalyst for change. Whether through best practice, the adoption of new technologies or the pursuit of academic excellence, the goal of the awards remains to foster an industry that is developmental, inclusive and built to withstand the demands of the future.

“We believe the ERWIC Awards help streamline procurement by identifying women-led contractors who are ready to deliver infrastructure programmes on time, within budget and aligned with broad-based black economic empowerment transformation objectives.

“Our vetting process supports effective skills transfer and economic inclusion, and long-term sector growth,” he says.

Further, past winners of the cidb ERWIC Awards have grown from local operators into national leaders and helped to inspire the next generation in the process.

“We invite all 51% women-owned construction companies, as well as female academics and built environment professionals and clients to enter,” Dladla says.

Entries for the 2026 awards will close on July 3. Information about the awards, including the entry guidelines, categories and criteria, is available on the cidb ERWIC Awards website.