A Delphi Exploration of Construction Digitalisation in South Africa

The current technological advancement has rapidly transformed how industries worldwide deliver their products, and the construction industry is not immune to this transformation. However, while the industry in developed countries is gradually picking up with the use of digital technologies in attaining digital transformation, the construction industry in developing countries like South Africa is still lagging in its adoption. Therefore, to promote construction digitalisation within the South African construction industry, this study, through a Delphi approach, unearths the major risks construction organisations will face in their quest for digital transformation. The study also explored the potential of the country’s construction industry to be fully digitalised and the demerits of the industry not being digitally transformed. Using appropriate statistical tools, the study found that while the South African construction industry has a high potential to be digitalised, this digital transformation can take a long time to be achieved. Data insecurity and information overload are among the critical risks that organisations seeking digital transformation might have to face. However, should these organisations fail to implement digital strategies in the delivery of their projects, they risk having a lack of competitiveness in the global market and an increase in poor project delivery.