The True Cost of Poor Planning: Lessons from South African Projects

Why planning is the hidden cost driver

In South Africa's construction industry, poor workmanship is not the main reason for projects failing. Instead, it's because of poor planning. The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) warned that 80% of project success is locked in during the planning stage. As soon as you break ground on a project, mistakes become more expensive to fix.

What poor planning on site looks like

Developers pay the price

• Without an escalation buffer, developers carry the risk. A spike in steel prices can halt construction for half a year, delaying sales and cutting into profits.

• For developers, those months mean no sales revenue and rising holding costs on land and loans.

Architects face redesign headaches

• Poor cost forecasting can force last-minute material swaps. Architects need to re-draw details, delaying approvals and undermining design quality.

• As ASAQS notes, reactive design changes create waste and frustrate both clients and contractors.

  
  

Investors lose confidence

• Investors are becoming increasingly cautious about project feasibility, according to RLB Africa's 2025 trends report.

• A development that misses its launch window can lose its competitive edge. Market timing matters.

South Africa's Unique Risk Factors

Planning mistakes hit harder here because:

• Material volatility: Cement and steel can rise 20-30% in months, driven by global supply chains.

• Labour shortages: Skilled trades are scarce, inflating wages if not secured early.

• Regulation shifts: New energy and fire compliance rules add unexpected costs when ignored in planning.

• Interest rate hikes: A single repo adjustment changes bond affordability, which will impact sales directly.

Lessons Learned

Projects that fail on planning usually share the same story:

• No accurate cost planning upfront.

• No contingency allowance for material volatility.

• No clear link between design ambition and budget reality.

The QS advantage: preventing pain before it starts

Quantity Surveyors are more than "cost checkers". Involving a QS early means:

• Benchmarking costs against current market rates.

• Stress-testing budgets for material volatility.

• Aligning design intent with realistic financial limits.

• Protecting ROI through disciplined cost control from day one.

Closing thought

In South Africa, poor planning doesn't only slow projects, it kills them. Developers lose sales, architects lose trust, and investors lose returns. The cheapest time to fix a problem is before it starts. That's why involving a QS early is not a luxury; it's the difference between a project that delivers and one that collapses.