Core Requirements for CESA Membership
Firm Type:
Must be a natural person or legal entity providing independent, technology-based consulting and engineering services in the built, human, or natural environment.
Professional Standing:
The firm must be of high professional repute and uphold ethical standards.
At least 50% of the Principals must be professionally registered with a body recognised by SAQA.
At least one-third of the Principals must be registered with ECSA.
Code of Conduct:
Professional Indemnity Insurance:
Must carry Professional Indemnity Insurance with a minimum cover of R5 million per claim.
Legal Registration:
Must be registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).
Staffing:
Engineering services must be rendered by full-time employees who are professionally registered
For further information, please don't hesitate to email membership@cesa.co.za or contact us on +27 11 463 2202
To become a member, click here or scan the QR code below.
Importance of the CESA Annual Declaration
Annual Declaration—This must be updated annually by mid-February each year, which is a particularly important requirement as the members' current staffing figures are used to determine the annual subscriptions payable by members. Information on the Annual Declaration is also used to calculate and track statistics and trends. It is worth noting that with regard to:
- Non-compliance – failure by member firms to either submit their Annual Declaration forms or to pay their subscriptions may lead to suspension of membership and ultimately termination of membership.
- Membership Certificate – once the annual subscription has been paid, a ‘renewal membership certificate’ will be issued with a QR verification code linking back to the CESA membership database and website.
For more information, please get in touch with Gillian at membership@cesa.co.za or log in to your company's profile using My Glue App.
The following extracts from our Constitution and Bylaws relate to the requirements for membership of CESA:
From the CESA Constitution
Consulting Engineers South Africa is a Voluntary Association of firms of consulting engineers and allied professionals who are members or eligible to be members of a professional institute with a code of ethics, who:
- Derive a substantial portion of their income from the provision of impartial consulting services in the built, human and/or natural environment to a client for a fee
- are managed and have their operating policies determined by people whose professional qualifications and conduct are in keeping with the requirements of this Constitution and its By-laws
- are of high professional repute and uphold ethical standards
- Commit to the aspiration of an industry association that is leading transformation through compassion and partnership, to grow a future that embraces diversity as an ongoing journey in a sustainable and structured manner
Firm — A natural person or legal entity which provides primarily independent technology-based consultancy and engineering services in the built, human and natural environment to clients for a fee, whose application for membership has been approved by the Board in terms of Clause 6.
Principal — A Principal of a Firm may be any of the following who is in active practice in the firm:
- A sole practitioner.
- Where the firm is a partnership, all the statutory partners.
- Where the firm is a close corporation, all the statutory members.
- Where the firm is a company, all the directors are appointed in terms of the Companies Act or equivalent in the country of operation.
- An appropriately professionally registered full-time employee of the firm, designated as such by the firm. Such a person must:
- have delegated authority to manage the technical assets and operations of the Firm and
- carry technical liability for the actions of the firm and therefore be able to determine the technical policies and direct and control the technical operations of the firm.
To this end, the firm may be required to demonstrate this authority to the satisfaction of CESA.
Registered Principal – A Principal who is registered as a professional engineering practitioner with the Engineering Council of South Africa or as a professional registered with any other professional body recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) or such equivalent recognised body outside of the Republic of South Africa.
From the CESA By-laws
A Firm shall not obtain or retain Membership unless it meets the following requirements for membership in fulfilment of Clause 2.1.7 of the Constitution, namely:
- It shall be of such standing and experience as, in the opinion of the Board, entitles it to practise as a firm of consulting engineers and allied professionals.
- It shall conduct its activities in such a manner that its membership does not detract from the dignity or standing of the organisation.
- It shall carry professional indemnity insurance in accordance with Clause 12 hereof.
- It shall provide evidence that its designated Mandated Principal/s had either been previously employed in senior positions with existing member firms or were Principals of their own firms prior to joining the firm applying for such membership. Alternatively, where possible, it shall obtain signatures of a proposer and seconder who are both Mandated Principals of members that do not hold any interest in the firm applying for membership. A Mandated Principal may designate an alternate for this purpose where appropriate, provided this delegation is in writing and is carried out separately in each instance.
- It may, as an alternative to four (4), request an interview with a member of the Board and/or the Branch Chairman, plus one other Registered Principal. Such members of the Board and/or Branch Chairman and other Registered Principal may then testify in a format prescribed by the Board to the suitability of the applicant for membership.
- It may, as an alternative to four (4) or five (5), request an interview with the Membership Committee of the Board.