KwaZulu-Natal Master Builders Association (Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal)

Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal is an employers’ organisation for the province’s building and construction industry, registered under the Labour Relations Act. Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal represents member companies ranging from large contractors to small building firms, and belongs to the national Master Builders South Africa federation.

Registered name

KwaZulu-Natal Master Builders Association (Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal)

Type

Employers’ organisation (building industry)

Fields funded

Building and construction-related qualifications

Website

masterbuilders.co.za

Email

mandisa@masterbuilders.co.za

Phone

031 266 7070

A meeting at the Victoria Café

The association traces its history to 1 February 1901, when a group of building contractors met at the Victoria Café in Durban and agreed to form the Durban Builders Association. The minutes of that meeting record concern about an “unsatisfactory state of affairs” in tendering, where builders undercut one another in a cut-throat market.

The Durban body later became the Durban Master Builders Association. In 1980 it merged with the Pietermaritzburg and Lower South Coast associations to form the Natal Master Builders Association, and in 1995 it became the KwaZulu-Natal Master Builders Association. William Ralph Poynton, its second president, was also founding president of the national body that became Master Builders South Africa.

A business hub for builders

Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal positions itself as a one-stop business hub. The association offers occupational health and safety advice, contractual and legal assistance, training through its Institute of Learning, employee benefit schemes, an occupational health clinic, a recruitment agency and conference facilities. Since 2003 its Building Awards of Excellence have recognised outstanding member projects.

The association also funds community causes. Its recent CSI includes R90 100 for Afrika Tikkun’s programmes in 2026, R70 000 towards rebuilding after the KwaZulu-Natal floods, and 200 pairs of school shoes for schools in Inanda, KwaMashu and Ntuzuma.

The bursary fund

Master Builders KwaZulu-Natal introduced its bursary fund in 2015, recognising that skills are scarce in construction and that the cost of tertiary education keeps many school leavers from reaching their potential. The fund prefers South African citizens living in KwaZulu-Natal who study disciplines directly related to the building industry, full-time, at universities or universities of technology.

The association selects bursars mainly on financial need, academic ability and career-oriented study. Bursaries last one year and are renewed only on proof of satisfactory progress. The 2026 round closed on 14 January 2026, so expect the next call between November 2026 and January 2027.

How to research the association

Read the association’s articles on construction careers and safety, and ask the bursary office whether programmes at the Master Builders Training Academy qualify. Mention any building site work or family experience in construction in your motivation.

Compare this fund with the Master Builders Western Cape bursary and our Construction Bursaries list.