​Lerato Mailoane
Mamelodi based Design Applications Building and Civil Contractors is a building and civil engineering construction company which has seen great success following its work on the construction of Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ).
Founding Director, Thabo Moumakwe said his business was established in 1996. Design Applications is one of the Small Medium Enterprise that is black owned, managed and controlled construction company.
Moumakwe said his company was awarded a tender to conduct structural analysis to determine what internal and external forces could affect the structure then ensure that the groundwork is appropriate before the construction of the TASEZ began. 
"Our company ensured that the ground was stable by removing clay and replacing it with appropriate materials and reinforcements for the foundation to be ready for building," he said.
The businessman said this was the biggest project his company had undertaken totalling to over R20 million after completion. He said this enabled him to hire three permanent engineers and ten permanent support staff and on average during the construction he would hire 25 to 50 labourers over a period of five months.
"When I quit my job in 1992, I had a dream to start my own business and stop living from pay cheque to pay cheque. Today, I am so happy I made that decision as it has improved my life tenfold. 
"Being a business owner comes with great risks but also very rewarding upon the completion of project," he said.
Moumakwe said since he worked on the SEZ his business has also improved its grading and is now a Grade 7. The grading system certifies that a company is capable of delivering projects up to a pre-determined contract value in a given class of works.
"To go up a grade, a contractor has to fulfil a certain criterion and has to have certain experience and qualification as well as staff requirements that he needs to fulfil," said Moumakwe.
The Design Applications Building and Civil Contractors construction company is currently working on a road rehabilitation project for Emfuleni Local municipality.