Major wins at the 2026 SAICE National Awards, held at the NH Hotel in Sandton on 3 September, have continued Zutari’s strong run of industry recognition. The consulting engineering firm was recognised across four categories, including three wins and a highly commended project recognition, highlighting the breadth of its technical expertise, project capability and investment in the next generation of engineering professionals.

The Senqu Bridge – Polihali project was named winner of the Technical Excellence International Project of the Year Award, while the Jwaneng Underground Mine Flood Risk Assessment won the Technical Excellence Investigative Project of the Year Award. Zutari’s Sachin Ravjee, Associate Bridge Engineer, was named Young Engineer of the Year.

The N2/R61 Emergency Slope Repairs project, undertaken for SANRAL by Zutari / Rumdel / Wild Coast, was Highly Commended in the Technical Excellence Maintenance or Rehabilitation Project of the Year category.

The results follow Zutari’s strong performance at the 2026 CESA Aon Engineering Excellence Awards on 20 August, where its projects and people were recognised across technical excellence, infrastructure impact, industry leadership and talent development.

They also provide further affirmation of Zutari’s growing international standing. The firm recently climbed 31 places in the ENR Top 225 International Design Firms ranking, moving from #99 in 2025 to #68 in 2026, driven primarily by growth in international design-service revenue.

“Recognition across both the CESA Aon and SAICE awards demonstrates the consistency and depth of engineering excellence within Zutari,” comments TC Ralebitso, Africa Chief Executive Officer of Zutari. “Importantly, it also reflects the impact of our work across different sectors, geographies and generations, from complex infrastructure and climate resilience to the development of young engineers who will shape the profession in years to come.”

Engineering for resilience and connectivity

The Senqu Bridge forms part of Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and is being delivered in the remote, high-altitude environment of the Lesotho Highlands. At 825 m, the bridge is the longest and highest bridge in Lesotho and the first extradosed bridge in both Lesotho and South Africa.

Once the Polihali Dam is impounded, sections of the existing A1 national road and river crossings will be submerged. The new bridge will therefore preserve vital connections for communities in and around Mokhotlong and Mapholaneng, including access to schools, healthcare, employment, trade and Maseru.

The project combines engineering innovation with a clear social and economic purpose, providing a reliable crossing in an environment characterised by steep terrain, snow, ice, strong winds and extreme temperatures.

The N2/R61 Emergency Slope Repairs similarly demonstrate the role of engineering in strengthening infrastructure resilience. The project responded to catastrophic flood damage in the OR Tambo District Municipality in March 2023, when extensive slope failures, erosion, roadway collapse and drainage failures affected a critical transport corridor between Mthatha and Port St Johns. Zutari developed emergency repair solutions focused on protecting human life and restoring the route as quickly as possible.

The resulting works incorporated advanced slope stabilisation measures, including soil nailing, reinforced shotcrete systems, mechanically stabilised earth walls, groundwater management and large-scale erosion protection. The project also required the team to adapt designs and construction methodologies as unforeseen geological and groundwater conditions emerged, while maintaining traffic access and public safety.

Tackling complex challenges through engineering

At Botswana’s Jwaneng Mine, Zutari’s award-winning flood risk assessment addressed a very different but equally complex challenge. Jwaneng, a cornerstone of Botswana’s economy, faces flood risks associated with the Naledi River catchment, which covers more than 450 km², as well as rainfall falling directly on the mine site.

With the open pit expected to deplete currently accessible resources by 2034 and Debswana evaluating a transition to underground mining, understanding present and future flood risk has become increasingly important.

Zutari was appointed to undertake a site-wide Surface Flood Risk Assessment and Surface Stormwater Management Masterplan for both the existing mine layout and future development. The project required a system-level approach because the mine’s relatively flat terrain, depression storages, pit and waste rock dump could not be adequately represented using conventional peak-flow and flow-path methodologies.

Investing in the profession

The recognition of Ravjee as SAICE Young Engineer of the Year adds an important people dimension to Zutari’s awards success. Ravjee has progressed from Graduate Engineer to Associate Bridge Engineer and Professional Engineer within eight years, contributing to major bridge and transport infrastructure projects across Southern Africa, Australia and the Middle East. His contribution to the Senqu Bridge has been complemented by a strong commitment to professional development and mentorship.

Since 2019, Ravjee has regularly served as an external examiner for final-year civil engineering projects at the University of Pretoria, while he currently leads Zutari’s Bridge Team ECSA Focus Group, supporting approximately 20 candidate engineers. Since 2025, he has also served as Vice-Chairperson of the IABSE Structural Health Monitoring Task Group.

For Ralebitso, the recognition of both projects and people is central to what the awards represent. “Engineering excellence is never achieved in isolation. It comes from talented people working collaboratively with clients and partners to solve difficult problems, and from creating an environment where knowledge is shared and the next generation is given the opportunity to grow,” he concludes.