WeeklySA_AdminSECTOR: New partnership seeks statutory recognition, stronger standards and a greater policy voice for the people who manage South Africa’s buildings and workplaces…
By WSAM Reporter
The South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA) and the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP) have launched a joint initiative to advance the professional recognition of facilities management in South Africa.
Announced in Johannesburg today, FM FORWARD aims to strengthen professional standards and give the sector a greater voice in national policy affecting the built environment.
SAFMA president Batabile Sibaca said the initiative represented a major step towards statutory professional recognition, with the association facilitating a process of professional categorisation under SACQSP.
The launch marks a move towards that recognition, rather than confirmation that statutory status has already been granted.
“The initiative aims to strengthen professional standards, give the sector a stronger voice in national policy and drive greater recognition of the vital role facilities management plays across South Africa’s built environment,” Sibaca said.
Facilities management supports the effective, safe and sustainable operation of the environments in which people live, work and conduct business. The partnership seeks to give practitioners stronger professional standing and reinforce the standards governing their work.
SACQSP president Arthur Quphe said FM FORWARD offered an opportunity to strengthen the profession’s role in national decision-making.
“Facilities management is fundamental to the effective, safe and sustainable operation of the environments in which people live, work and conduct business.
This initiative presents an opportunity to strengthen the profession’s standing and ensure its voice is heard in shaping national policy,” he said.
SACQSP is established under the Quantity Surveying Profession Act of 2000 and regulates the quantity surveying profession, with a mandate covering professional competence, education, ethical standards and public protection.
For SAFMA, the partnership builds on almost three decades of organisational development. Founded in 1998, the association became a Section 21 company in 2011 and was recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority as a non-statutory professional body in 2013. According to SAFMA, that recognition was renewed in 2023.
The association maintains four registered professional designations, ranging from Certified Facilities Practitioner to Accredited Facilities Professional. These provide a framework through which practitioners can demonstrate competence and commitment to professional development.
Members must adhere to a Code of Professional Conduct and undertake continuing professional development to maintain their professional standing.
The initiative also comes as SAFMA strengthens its governance and leadership structures, expands its provincial reach and increases its focus on sustainability, technology and education.
Sibaca said the association’s national membership, professional designations and international links through Global FM provided a foundation for advancing the sector.
“FM FORWARD is an opportunity to build a more robust and future-focused profession for South Africa,” she said.
