We asked our expert, Kyle Brooks to tell us more about himself.

Trusting an expert takes some time…get to know our favourite new expert, one question at a time.

The construction industry is a lifelong love for Kyle.

“I was lucky enough to be introduced into the property and construction industry as a teenager by family and friends. My best friend’s father was a property developer, and we would go to site on weekends and school holidays. He ran very big jobs and had a staff compliment of 400 people and constructed developments valued at 100 million Rand in the early 90’s. This gave me an insight into how construction should be run and sparked my love for the industry.”

No lazy student life for him…

“While I was studying, I was living with my parents. My father said he would cover my varsity costs provided I did not waste his money. At 19 I bought my first investment property and quickly learnt what a Body Corporate is and what the Sectional Title Act of 1986 was. I did all the renovations myself because I had zero budget for staff. I was the painter, the tiler, the plumber, the handyman. I also took over the managing and daily running of a building that had a combination of residential apartments and retail shops.”

 Not content with his workload yet, Kyle branched out yet again.

“At this time my best friend and I started an importation business of quality building products. This afforded me the opportunity to work on very technical projects. We supplied Telkom with locks for their phone booths and FNB bank with protected keyways. We also supplied Botswana Radio Station and Radio Jacaranda with sound reducing doors. As these were German manufacturers, product knowledge and suppling the correct product for the job was of utmost importance.”

They jumped at every opportunity to better themselves and improve their own knowledge.

“The Germans trained us in Germany, which was a fantastic opportunity to not only be trained by the best in the industry, but also travel internationally. These products were even used in embassies for their panic rooms, and dealing with international architects and builders allowed me to see the level of detail and professionalism that goes into delivering a quality product that is designed for a specific purpose.”

Going from strength to strength…

“Four years later I started working for myself and opened my own construction business together with other businesses. During this time, I bought additional investment properties and became a trustee and chairman on various body corporates. My first build was a 120 square meter granny flat for my own grandmother next to my parents’ house.”

Jack of all traits (Master of all!)

“I kept the construction business but tried my hand at various other industries. I had a chain of video shops, a liquor wholesaler… Unfortunately, the liquor business was a very high-risk business, and after a number or armed robberies I went so far as to consider immigrating.”

Finding his promised land. (Family matters!)

“I went to Australia, visited the Gold Coast, and thought that it was the right move for me and my family. I came back to SA and sold the businesses, but then decided not to leave SA, instead removing myself from any high-risk cash driven businesses. The motivating factor for staying was that my twins were only five and they would then lose out on all the family which is still a huge part of our lives. Australia was no longer an option.”

Finally, his true calling!

“At this time GCT Construction & Maintenance was opened. My time as a trustee on various body corporates made me realise that there was a gap in the market for a reliable, well managed construction business in the Sectional Title sector. This would give us continuous small jobs and maintenance work that would allow us to keep our staff permanently employed.”

GCT has evolved into a family run construction and maintenance business that services clients in and around Johannesburg and Pretoria.

“GCT is able to offer this wide range of services as we employ skilled artisans specializing in their specific trade. Each team is managed by a site manager who is overseen by a project manager.

GCT’s services include:

• Construction
• Maintenance
• Plumbing division 24 hrs, leak detection 24hrs
• Electrical division 24hrs
• Painting
• Damp proofing and waterproofing.

(GCT is NHBRC registered and builds according to the SANS 10400 building code.)

“Methodical, procedural management by a hands-on team allows GCT to fulfil their promise of passion and expertise in all that we do.”

What is the best part of being in this industry?

“That’s easy. Completing jobs that make the client happy!”

This line of business isn’t without challenges…

“A big challenge is always finding reliable staff. Staff turnover was high in the beginning due to our unwavering demand for quality.”

His advice for South African homeowners who are looking at residential construction options:

“Understand how complex the task is: nothing takes five minutes except five minutes and that changes (even small ones) to the original brief can affect timelines and pricing severely.”

Beach or bush? “Bush”

Burgers or braai? “Braai”

Revamp or new build? “Revamp is our speciality; but new build is easier.”

Get in Touch:

Kyle Brooks
GCT Group
info@gctgroup.co.za