Factors influencing the performance of the South African construction industry: A case of Limpopo Province

The performance of the South African construction industry is a major cause of concern in the country. This study investigates the factors influencing the performance of the construction industry. Primary data was obtained through the questionnaire survey which was distributed to professionals in the construction industry. Quantitative method was adopted whereby a total of 50 survey questionnaires were distributed, however only 35 questionnaires were returned which gave a response rate of 70%. To analyse Statistical Packages of Social Sciences was used for the study. The value for the internal consistency and reliability of the research instrument was 0.866. The study revealed significant factors affecting the performance of the construction industry as; Instability/escalation of construction material prices, project cost overruns, backlogs of payment to contractors, material and equipment and inefficient funding of construction projects. The study contributes to the body of knowledge in relation to what influences the performance of the construction industry. It is evident that economic growth, regulatory bodies, skills and training programs influences the performance of the construction industry in South Africa. Therefore, an increase in infrastructure investment and firm regulatory implementation measures by CIDB can accelerate the economic growth and improve the performance of the construction industry.