Expanding BIM, facility management and digital construction capacity across Africa

Trident Engineering Institute (TEI) and the Association of Construction Project Managers (ACPM) were named joint winners of the Capacity Development Award at the University of Johannesburg’s DiBETSA 2025 ceremony, a flagship recognition platform for digital innovation in the built environment.

The recognition coincided with a new phase of professional validations, strategic partnerships and continental engagement around the ACPM–TEI BIM Masterclass Series: a structured digital built environment programme designed to expand building information modelling (BIM), facility management and digital construction capacity across Africa.

“Trident’s commitment to supporting and advancing excellence in the built environment is truly appreciated. We look forward to building on this collaboration and exploring further opportunities to partner in future initiatives,” says Professor Innocent Musonda, director of the Centre of Applied Research and Innovation in the Built Environment (CARINBE) at the University of Johannesburg.

A flagship programme behind the recognition

The DiBETSA award follows the rollout of the ACPM–TEI BIM Masterclass Series, delivered in partnership with ACPM. The series combines practical continuing professional development (CPD) with a fully mapped academic progression model.

It comprises 23 specialist masterclasses, each anchored in real project challenges and aligned with recognised digital built environment frameworks including ISO 19650, COBie, IFC, openBIM principles and digital twin workflows.

Each five-hour masterclass operates as a focused CPD learning experience while also mapping to a corresponding eight-week short course, a professional diploma pathway and a longer term Bachelor of Science destination module in BIM Management or Facility Management, where applicable and subject to the relevant accreditation requirements. This structure gives working professionals a clear progression route from immediate CPD to deeper professional competence.

“Our goal is to make advanced digital skills accessible, practical and professionally meaningful. Every practitioner should be able to see a clear pathway from focused CPD learning to deeper competence, without losing momentum or value along the way. That is how Africa builds a sustainable digital built environment talent pipeline,” says Henry Lukenge, CEO of TEI.

Building credibility through validation, compliance and quality assurance

The ACPM–TEI BIM Masterclass Series was designed around a compliance-led model. The programme has carried validation and recognition from SACPCMP, CPD (UK) and ECSA-aligned structures through SAIMechE, with additional professional validation and partnership engagement extending the programme’s reach into architecture, quantity surveying, engineering, facility management and continental professional networks.

TEI’s BSc degree programmes remain lodged with the Council on Higher Education for formal accreditation and are presented transparently as pending formal approval.

“As a construction project manager, I have witnessed firsthand how technology is reshaping the way we plan, deliver and manage infrastructure projects,” notes Anthony Afordofe, president of ACPM. “BIM is no longer a future consideration – it is a present-day necessity. This recognition affirms the critical role of capacity development in advancing professional excellence and equipping built environment professionals with the digital skills needed to drive Africa’s infrastructure and digital transformation agenda.”

Expanded professional recognition and strategic partnerships

Recent confirmations and strategic engagements connected to the ACPM–TEI BIM Masterclass Series include the following:

• South African Institute of Architectural Technologists (SAIAT) – validation of the BIM Masterclass, with TEI confirmed as a Corporate Plus Member, and the masterclass listed as a validated CPD event on the SAIAT CPD calendar.
• Association of South African Quantity Surveyors – validation of the BIM Masterclass, extending the programme’s professional relevance into the quantity surveying profession.
• South African Institute of Electrical Engineers – engagements at an advanced level and in the process of finalising of a Memorandum of Understanding broadening engagement with electrical and electronic engineering practitioners and supporting technical excellence, professional competency and innovation.
• Federation of African Engineering Organisations – a strategic service-level partnership framework intended to extend TEI’s BIM and digital construction content into a broader African engineering professional development ecosystem.
• Africa Facilities Management Association (Africa FM) – a service-level partnership framework that leverages Africa FM’s strategic authority in facilities management across the continent, anchoring the facilities management professional pathway in regional industry practice, advancing industry standards and supporting FM-focused professional development, skills enhancement and workforce capacity building.
• Catenda – a technology partnership with the Norwegian provider of cloud-based BIM and common data environment solutions for construction and infrastructure.
• Revizto – engagement with a leading BIM collaboration platform supporting 2D/3D co-ordination, clash detection, issue tracking and project communication.
• buildingSMART International and openBIM alignment – alignment with open international standards and interoperability principles that support responsible information management across the built asset lifecycle.
• BIM Africa, BIM Heroes DAO and Building Transformations – community, advocacy and knowledge-sharing engagements that reinforce continental BIM adoption, research, innovation and professional collaboration.
• TVET, university and private education partnerships – ongoing collaboration with training providers and higher education institutions across Africa to bridge education and industry and expand access to employer-driven digital built environment skills.

A stackable model built for working professionals

The articulation model is deliberately modular. Practitioners may enter the pathway at the level that best fits their experience, professional needs and career stage, then progress at a pace that accommodates full-time work.

“The articulation pathway is what makes this programme different. Whether a practitioner begins with a single CPD module or is building toward a formal qualification, the learner can see where each step leads. That clarity is what professionals have been missing,” states Abdul Ddumba Yawe, chief academic officer at TEI.

Investment, social impact and the road ahead

TEI is owned by the Nido Trust, established by Henry Lukenge with a founding grant commitment of R9 million. Revenue from the institute’s short courses and training programmes is directed toward the Nido Trust Bursaries and the Henry Lukenge Fellowship, supporting young African students seeking access to BIM and facility management education.

This model connects digital transformation with social impact. Each cohort of paying professionals contributes not only to upskilling the current workforce but also to widening access for students who may otherwise struggle to enter the digital built environment sector.

With a presence in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront and Rosebank, Johannesburg, TEI is positioned at the intersection of digital education, industry demand, professional validation and academic progression. Its programmes span the BIM lifecycle: from 2D drafting and Revit fundamentals through to BIM-CAM integration, sustainability analytics, facility management, legal risk and digital project delivery.

As South Africa and the wider continent accelerate the transition toward digital project delivery, TEI’s recognition at DiBETSA 2025, together with its expanding validation and partnership footprint, marks an important step in building a credible, accessible and standards-aware pipeline of digital built environment talent.

Image credit: Magnific/DC Studio