JOHANNESBURG - South Africa has not turned into a construction site like government promised.
But things are finally looking up for the construction sector, which has been slumping for years.
The FNB/BER Building Confidence index has jumped to a 10-year high of 43 in the fourth quarter of the year, up from 35 in the third quarter.
Despite the better number, the index still means a majority of respondents are dissatisfied with prevailing business conditions.
Residential building activity grew while non-residential builder confidence was stable.
The building confidence index is based on a survey of the building pipeline from architects and quantity surveyors to manufacturers of building material to builders and contractors.