David Benjamin “Dawie” Botha has spent his life building South Africa not just in steel and concrete, but through leadership, mentorship and visionary thinking that has shaped the country’s engineering landscape for more than five decades. Now, he’s being honoured with the Ukhozi Award at the 2025 NSTF-South32 Awards for his extraordinary lifetime contributions to SA and to the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF).

The Ukhozi Award, symbolised by the eagle for its sharp vision and far-reaching impact, recognises individuals whose leadership and influence have left a lasting imprint on SA’s science, engineering and technology (SET) ecosystem. For Botha, a civil engineer raised in the small town of De Aar in the Northern Cape, the honour represents a full-circle moment.

“The day I received a bursary to study civil engineering, my life changed forever,” he recalls, adding how his widowed mother wept tears of joy at the news. “It gave me the foundation to dream — and then to build.”

From the outset of his career in municipal engineering and the SA Housing Trust, Botha quickly became a force for transformation. As executive director of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) from 1991 to 2010, he expanded the organisation’s international footprint and helped establish the Africa Engineers Forum, forging partnerships with leading global institutions like the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the UK’s Institution of Civil Engineers.

Botha is perhaps best known for leading the production of SA’s Infrastructure Report Cards — critical assessments of national infrastructure that have informed government policy and investment planning since 2006.

These reports underscore his belief that engineers must be central to national development conversations: “Engineers are responsible for the systems that sustain life and the very source of what a country needs to survive, grow and prosper. They constitute the backbone of a successful country and their work must be recognised, supported, and celebrated.”

An advocate for STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) education, Botha helped launch the International Bridge Building Competition and AQUALIBRIUM, reaching thousands of learners and inspiring future engineers. His visionary thinking also led to the creation of the STEMulator.org, a digital learning and career guidance tool under the auspices of the NSTF, that introduces school learners to the diverse world of SET careers in a fun, interactive way.

“The future depends on how we inspire and support the next generation,” he says.

As chair of the NSTF’s proSET membership sector and a long-standing member of the NSTF Executive Committee, Botha has built bridges across disciplines and sectors, always championing collaboration, equity and youth development. He was awarded the NSTF Management Award in 2011 and in 2014 authored Travels with Civils, a guide to infrastructure across SA’s nine provinces.

Humble about his accolades, Botha attributes his success to faith, teamwork and a belief in the power of science and engineering to uplift society.

“This award isn’t just about me,” he says. “It’s about the learners, professionals, and communities who made this journey meaningful. I’m honoured to have walked alongside them, and thank God for my talents and opportunities.”

Read the special Mail & Guardian supplement about all the NSTF-South32 Award winners.