SAIA Pulse 12/2025
Updated: Sep 10
As we bring 2025 to a close, it is both timely and essential to reflect on the progress made over the past six months. This has been a period of rebuilding, reconnecting, and redefining our direction as an Institute. SAIA has spent this time strengthening relationships, testing new approaches, and revisiting established practices to ensure the organisation is positioned for long-term sustainability and success. As Al Stratford, a former SAIA President, put it: one cannot fix the plane while it is in flight — it must first be grounded. The Board has taken this advice to heart.
Grounding the Institute
SAIA deliberately decided to “ground” itself, pause, and focus on fundamental repairs. With a newly energised executive team — Peta, Hugh, and Avela — the SAIA office is operating with renewed capability and purpose. Imagine SA has been instrumental in resolving past backlogs and compiling the 2025 Annual Financial Statements, now undergoing audit.
The Editorial, Transformation, Practice, Education, Ethics, and Heritage Committees are being re-established, with Terms of Reference to be reviewed so that regional voices are fully reflected. Communication remains a priority, including the revival of both online and printed magazines.
AZA2025
AZA2025 was held at the University of Johannesburg at the end of August 2025, organised by Daniel van der Merwe and the GIfA office. The event drew 79 speakers, 32 moderators, 650 student attendees and 150 professional attendees. The next AZA will take place in 2027 at a new location.
International and continental engagement
Engagement continues with the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA), the International Union of Architects (UIA), and the African Union of Architects (AUA). Carin Combrinck serves as Co-Director of a newly established UIA work group on Informal Settlements; a global survey (in six languages) was due for distribution in January, assessing the architectural profession's role in upgrading informal settlements, with outcomes to be shared at the Barcelona conference in 2026.
Angela Hesketh has been appointed to the UIA Public Health Group (PHG) for Region V (Africa) and nominated as chairperson for 2024–2026. Region V is also compiling a database of regulations, standards and guidelines for healthcare-facility design, an effort being spearheaded from Kenya, with Angela liaising with Mauritius, Botswana and Malawi.
Awards and student achievement
SAIA is anticipating the 2026 Corobrik Student Awards and the Corobrik SAIA Awards of Excellence, with 52 entries received and a panel of adjudicators being assembled for site visits scheduled for early March.
UFS Architecture student Glory Kamthunzi, from Malawi, was awarded the prestigious international RIBA President's Medal 2025, for her submission “Dialogues in Sticks and Stones: Spatial testimonies of the East African slave trade in Nkhotakota, Malawi.”
Farewell and thanks
Dedicated Accounts and Membership Administrator Flora de Bruyn finished five years of service at the end of November 2025; SAIA thanked her for her service.
As the Institute enters the holiday season, the President's message closes with wishes for peace, rest and serenity, and hopes that 2026 will be a year of prosperity, renewed purpose, and continued collaboration.
Comments