April 16, 2026, Sandton, South Africa – Knight Piésold Southern Africa played a significant role at the 2026 SANCOT Symposium, presenting insights on tunnelling design and construction from a major water infrastructure project.

The symposium, held on April 13–14 at the Southern Sun Rosebank Hotel in Johannesburg, was organised by the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) in affiliation with the South African National Committee on Tunnelling (SANCOT), one of only 20 founding members of the International Tunnelling Association.

Themed “Unlocking Africa's Potential: Advances in Tunnelling in Civil Engineering and Mining,” the symposium focused on current best practices and technological advances in the tunnelling industry. Presentations covered innovations in tunnel excavation, support, monitoring, and contractual practice, demonstrating the strength of the South African tunnelling community.

Knight Piésold’s Technical Presentations

Knight Piésold, in addition to serving as an event sponsor, contributed four technical presentations, showcasing insights from ongoing work on one of Southern Africa’s largest tunnelling projects.

Ryan Freese, Lead Engineering Geologist, served as Symposium Chairperson, delivering opening addresses on both days and presenting on “The uMkhomazi Transfer Tunnel: Background, Geotechnical Conditions and Tunnel Design Considerations.”

Bridget Rodrigues, Senior Rock Mechanics Engineer, presented “Considerations in the Design and Construction of Ventilation and Surge Shafts for the uMWP Phase 1 Water Transfer Tunnel,” demonstrating innovative approaches to ventilation and shaft design in challenging geological conditions.

Faith Phamotse, Engineering Geologist, highlighted how 3D data capture technologies are revolutionizing tunnel construction in her presentation “Beyond the Blast: How 3D Data Capture is Reshaping Tunnel Construction,” representing cutting-edge approaches to monitoring rock conditions for tunnelling.

Tina Mac Kellar, Senior Civil Engineer, co-authored the technical paper “Design Considerations and Construction Strategies for the uMkhomazi Water Project Phase 1.”

Major Project Involvement

Knight Piésold is engaged in two of Southern Africa's landmark tunnelling projects, each presenting unique technical and geological challenges.

The uMkhomazi Water Project Phase 1 entails water transfer from the uMkhomazi River System to the Integrated Mgeni Water Supply System, augmenting water supply to the Pietermaritzburg and Durban areas in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The project features a 31.2 km transfer tunnel—the country's largest civil tunnelling undertaking in three decades. Knight Piésold, as part of the GKP Joint Venture (consisting of Gibb and Knight Piésold), is responsible for geotechnical, hydrogeological, environmental, and social studies, and design of the intake tower; transfer tunnel, including tunnel inlet/outlet and access adit portals; ventilation and surge shafts; raw water pressure pipeline; and associated infrastructure.

The Polihali Transfer Tunnel, part of the bi-national Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase II, comprises a 38.5 km concrete-lined tunnel currently under construction. The tunnel will convey water from the new Polihali Reservoir in Lesotho’s Senqu River valley to the existing Katse Reservoir in the Malibamatso River valley, ultimately supplying water to South Africa’s Gauteng province. Knight Piésold, as part of the MSKC Joint Venture (consisting of Knight Piésold, Zutari, Hatch, SMEC, and FM Associates), serves as design engineer responsible for tender, detailed design, and construction supervision for all construction works.

Advancing Tunnelling Excellence

“These transformative infrastructure projects are essential to ensuring water security and supporting economic development in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces,” said Freese. “Our contributions to these projects demonstrate innovative application of advanced tunnelling practices that will help shape the future of infrastructure development across Africa.”

“We thank SAIMM for hosting this exceptional platform for knowledge sharing and all participants who made SANCOT 2026 a success,” added Freese. “As Africa’s infrastructure needs continue to grow, Knight Piésold remains committed to delivering complex tunnelling solutions that build sustainable, resilient water systems serving communities for generations to come.”