Investing in the people who will build what comes next

Steel construction is an industry built on accumulated knowledge.

Every project carries with it lessons learned over decades. How to solve difficult technical problems, manage risk, navigate complex projects, build relationships and make decisions when the answer is not always obvious.

But that knowledge only retains its value if it is passed forward.

For Helgaard Müller, CEO of Credeq Africa, investing in the next generation is not simply about skills development. It is about protecting the future capability of the industries that will build Southern Africa’s infrastructure and economy.

As experienced professionals retire or move on, businesses risk losing decades of institutional knowledge. At the same time, a new generation is entering the workplace with different capabilities, particularly around technology, digital tools and new ways of working.
The opportunity lies in bringing these strengths together.

From knowledge transfer to knowledge exchange

Müller believes mentorship should not be viewed as a one-way transfer from experienced to younger professionals.

Experienced practitioners bring a history of knowledge, judgement and context shaped by their careers. They understand why certain approaches work, where projects can go wrong, how relationships are built and how difficult situations are navigated – all of which are not necessarily from theory alone.

Younger professionals, in turn, bring their own knowledge, experiences, fresh perspectives, technology fluency and a willingness to question established ways of working. They are not simply recipients of knowledge; they also have much to contribute to how industries evolves.
Effective mentorship creates space for both.

It requires experienced leaders to share not only what decision was made, but the reasoning behind it. It also requires organisations to give younger professionals the opportunity to participate meaningfully rather than simply observe. It is about creating a two-way exchange where experience is shared, questions are encouraged and new ideas can challenge and strengthen established thinking.

Give young professionals something real to own

For Müller, meaningful development must be embedded into the way a business operates.
That can include exposure across different functions and disciplines. In construction and engineering, for example, a young professional might benefit from understanding design, project management, procurement, commercial considerations, site operations, client engagement and risk rather than remaining confined to a narrow job description.
But exposure alone is not enough.

Young professionals also need something real to own. It could be a workstream, a client interaction, a technical problem or a defined project responsibility.

Responsibility, supported by appropriate guidance and accountability, is how confidence and capability are built.

The measure of a development programme should therefore not simply be whether a requirement has been met, but whether the individual has become more capable, more confident and better prepared to take responsibility.

The future leader will need more than technical ability

Technical competence will always be fundamental in engineering and construction. But Müller believes the next generation of leaders will increasingly distinguish themselves through connection, follow-through and agility.

Connection means being able to build trust across the many relationships on which projects depend.

Follow-through is the discipline to execute and finish what you start.

Agility is becoming increasingly important in an operating environment shaped by changing economic conditions, technology, supply-chain disruption and market pressures.

Technology will inevitably play a greater role too. Yet as artificial intelligence and automation become more capable, Müller believes distinctly human capabilities, such as emotional intelligence, judgement, curiosity, relationship-building and the ability to work across disciplines, may become even more valuable.

A career with purpose

There is also a bigger challenge for the industry. Talented young people need to be able to see a future for themselves in steel, engineering and construction.

For Müller, part of the answer lies in telling a better story about the industry.

These are not simply traditional sectors. They sit at the centre of Africa’s future, spanning infrastructure, energy, mining, logistics, technology and large-scale economic development.
Young professionals need to see the breadth of opportunity available to them, but they also need to see a pathway beyond their first job. They need role models who can show them what is possible, that is, how a career is built from first opportunities to transitioning into becoming specialists, decision-makers and leaders.
Most importantly, they need meaningful work.

When young professionals can see that their contribution helps solve real problems, deliver projects and contribute to Africa’s development, a job can become something much bigger. It becomes a career with purpose.

Securing possibilities for the next generation

As Future Leaders Patron of Steel Awards 2026, Credeq Africa wants its sponsorship to represent a simple principle. The future of the industry deserves investment today.

Müller believes businesses cannot simply describe young people as “the future”. They, are in fact present in the ‘now, and organisations must continue to create the conditions to enable growth through recruitment, development, mentorship, meaningful responsibility and opportunities to lead.

The Steel Awards recognise excellence, innovation and achievement across the steel construction industry. Credeq Africa’s involvement adds another dimension to that recognition by acknowledging the people who will carry the industry forward.

Leadership does not suddenly begin when someone reaches the top of an organisation. It develops through how people approach their work, how willing they are to learn, how they treat others and how readily they accept responsibility.

Credeq Africa describes its philosophy as “securing possibilities.”

For Müller, supporting young professionals means helping to create and secure those possibilities for the future leaders who will shape the industry in the years ahead. The goal is not simply to see the next generation enter the industry, but to see them grow, contribute and lead, eventually becoming the people responsible for passing that knowledge forward once again.