A Personal Commitment to Do the Work the Right Way
Today, Manie Theunis Du Bruyn, Director of Black Lion Property Group and Black Lion Mining, announced a public pledge to lead by example in Africa’s fast-moving but fragile growth sectors. The pledge focuses on practical operational behaviors — not slogans — that reinforce sustainable development and business integrity.
“We don’t chase hype,” said Du Bruyn. “We build to last. That means local insight, quiet iteration, and staying close to the site.”
Du Bruyn leads real estate and mining ventures spanning South Africa, Namibia, and future U.S. markets. His experience navigating regulatory pressure, infrastructure delays, and delivery bottlenecks shaped his decision to speak up now.
“Every shortcut becomes a liability later,” he said. “If you want resilience, you have to build in the right sequence — with discipline.”
Why This Pledge Matters Now
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52% of African infrastructure projects stall due to misalignment between planning and execution (World Bank, 2023).
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Construction sector volatility in South Africa saw a 4.4% GDP contraction in 2023 (Stats SA).
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Sub-Saharan housing demand will double by 2040, requiring systems that scale (UN-Habitat).
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60% of early-stage mining ventures in Southern Africa miss their projected delivery timelines (Mining Indaba 2024).
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Turnover among contractors and project leads is at a 10-year high, eroding continuity and institutional knowledge (AECOM Africa Report).
“The market’s impatient,” Du Bruyn said. “But nature isn’t. Logistics isn’t. Property isn’t. If your model only works in good weather, you’re not ready yet.”
The 7 Commitments in Manie’s Pledge
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Define minimum fit before breaking ground. No execution without signed approvals, funding integrity, and a clear risk profile.
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Track system-level risks weekly. Maintain live risk registers for delivery delays, cost overruns, and stakeholder churn.
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Avoid scope growth unless downstream is ready. Scale only when the team, system, and infrastructure are ready — not before.
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Reject cosmetic wins. No progress reports without actual operational progress.
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Prioritize modular design over custom complexity. Use frameworks that adapt to change, rather than locking in fragile integrations.
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Keep local teams close to decision centers. No remote-first decisions without field input. Context is a success multiplier.
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Build post-launch systems before launch. Include support, maintenance, and compliance ops as part of project go-live, not after.
Do It Yourself: 10 Actions for Resilient Builders
You don’t need a big budget or a title to start working this way. Here are 10 free actions anyone in development, operations, or logistics can take today:
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Create a checklist of what must be true before execution starts.
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Audit one project for “cosmetic progress” vs true delivery.
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Write a one-page risk register for your team or site.
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Map the top three handoff points that cause delays.
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Interview a field worker about what’s actually slowing things down.
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Build a “Plan B” for one critical dependency.
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Track any rework — and what caused it.
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Write your own “7-point pledge” for your specific role.
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Replace one vanity metric with a delivery-based one.
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Share this pledge with a teammate and ask what’s missing.
Call to Action
Take the pledge. Copy the commitments. Share the toolkit. Review your system. Build for the long term — one clear decision at a time.
“You don’t need a bigger team,” Du Bruyn said. “You need a better operating system.”
About Manie Theunis Du Bruyn
Based in Pretoria, South Africa, Manie Theunis Du Bruyn is the Director of Black Lion Property Group and Black Lion Mining. He leads multi-phase real estate and mining ventures across Southern Africa and abroad. His operational approach emphasizes clarity, structure, modularity, and integrity in high-risk industries.
Contact:
meniedubruyn@emaildn.com
Media Contact
Contact Person: Manie Theunis Du Bruyn
Email: Send Email
Country: South Africa
Website: https://medium.com/@maniedubruyn_9419
