The University of Johannesburg's (UJ) groundbreaking 3D housing printing project took center stage at the National Construction Summit 2025 in Boksburg yesterday as President Cyril Ramaphosa toured its exhibition stand.
The summit, hosted by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) in collaboration with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), is more than just a gathering. It is a nationwide call to action that prioritizes delivery, accountability, ethical leadership and performance in construction, one of the world's most critical industries. This year's two-day summit had the motto: Unlocking infrastructure delivery for South Africawhich is both a reflection and a rallying point for the quality of service delivery.
On the first day of the summit, UJ became the center of attention for its groundbreaking 3D housing printing project on display there. Such was its popularity that it also caught the attention of President Ramaphosa. During his conversation with the UJ team, the President expressed his great enthusiasm for 3D printing in construction as the technology of the future. He delved deeply into the demonstration and inquired about the cost of the 3D printer, the comparative cost of construction compared to traditional methods, and the types of materials used in the printing process.
The President also expressed great interest in the academic dimension of the project – in particular in the involvement of undergraduate and graduate students who will contribute to the further development of this groundbreaking research. The 3D printer uses a specific type of cement that dries faster than regular cement used in the construction industry. Almost any structure can be printed. This means that an entire house can be completed in one day – faster than with conventional construction. For any additional elements, such as a bench or a pot for the garden, the design is simply loaded into the machine, which then creates it from the cement.
Professor Jeffrey Mahachi, Head of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Built Environment at UJ, said it was an honor for the University to have the President take part in our ground-breaking 3D housing development. “Our collaboration with the President at the National Construction Summit underscores UJ's commitment to research that delivers real, tangible impact – innovation with purpose. As UJ, we are proud to be at the forefront of technological innovation that directly addresses South Africa's housing and infrastructure challenges,” he said.
Prof. Mahachi added: “Through our Sustainable Materials and Construction Technologies Research Center (SMaCT), we have demonstrated how 3D printing in construction can transform the way we deliver human settlements and infrastructure – faster, more sustainably and with greater precision. This innovative project demonstrates the faculty's commitment to advancing sustainable, rapid and affordable solutions for housing construction through cutting-edge technology and engineering.”
The National Construction Summit is a collaboration between academia, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). Led by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson, the summit reflects the collective will to do better and the urgent need to turn plans into progress and policies into projects.
Check out the summit proceedings below: