Although implementing quality assurance (QA) processes in construction is important in the South African economy, small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) faced difficulties in improving rural road infrastructure and highquality roads. Hardly any effort is made on to how sustain quality in road-project construction through suitable construction strategy in local governments. This article aims to analyse and examine the quality of road-construction projects built by SMEs contractors in Mopani District Municipality, South Africa. The article follows a quantitative survey approach in which a three-section questionnaire was administered to 160 purposively selected road-building practitioners in South African construction SMEs. The questionnaire was structured into three parts, which sought the participants' profile, identified the quality assurance practices (QAPs) incorporated in the construction SMEs' road-building programmes, and identified the factors that negatively influence the implementation of QA processes. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Descriptive statistics was used to determine the reliability of the various constructs, mean scores, and standard deviations. The empirical findings established eight QAPs that were reliable and valid for implementation processes that can control or minimise their causes of poor quality in projects undertaken by construction SMEs' level of skill acquisition. These are: project planning and control techniques; project construction design; process implementation and process improvement; financial management; organisational structures; involvement of people, as well as quality standards and measurements. The eight factors attained high Cronbach Alpha values above the recommended 0.70, which indicates high internal consistencies among the sub-scales. This article is significant in that project managers working in similar environments may use the results of this study either as diagnostic tools or as a reference benchmark for strategic interventions in solving construction projects-related problems. The researchers also recommend that these practices are for QA in construction projects undertaken by SMEs in South Africa.

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Although implementing quality assurance (QA) processes in construction play an important role in the South African economy has been acknowledged. However, constructions SMEs are faced with difficulties in improving rural road infrastructure and high-quality roads. Additionally, past research has failed to reach consensus on the construction process and socioeconomic settings in previously disadvantaged areas in South Africa, including the factors influencing negatively the performance of such factors. This research examines what factors facilitate or inhibit the success of construction SMEs and what actions can be taken to being distressed construction SMEs under control. The study adopted a quantitative research approach in which a three-section questionnaire was administered to 160 purposively chosen road- building experts in a South African construction SMEs. The questionnaire was structured into three parts, which sought the participants’ profile, identified the quality assurance practices (QAPs) incorporated in the construction SMEs’ road building programmes, and identified the factors that negatively influence the implementation of QA processes. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Furthermore, to determine the reliability of the various constructs, mean scores, descriptive statistics and standard deviations were obtained. The empirical findings established eight QAPs that were reliable and valid for implementation processes that can control or minimise their causes of poor quality in projects undertaken by construction SMEs, level of skill acquisition; project planning and control techniques; project construction design; process implementation and process improvement; financial management; organisational structures; involvement of people; and quality standards and measurements. The eight factors attained high Cronbach Alpha values above the recommended 0.70 which indicates high internal consistencies among the sub-scales. Findings from this study should be useful to managers in similar environments may use the results of this study as either diagnostic tools or as a reference benchmark for strategic interventions in solving construction projects related problems. Furthermore, the researchers also recommend that these practices are for quality assurance in construction projects undertaken by SMEs in South Africa.

Recent South African and international evidence highlights the broad and lasting impacts of households, particularly those on low income, when unable to afford higher income counterparts to live in apartments, maintained public housing, and other high-quality houses. A broad range of low-income houses recently built in South African local municipalities are reportedly defective, due to poor building and construction quality. This study aims to assess and determine the factors influencing high-quality housing positively impacting on the lives of a significant proportion of low-income housing projects. Reasons for and obstacles to quality design, construction quality and the development of low-income housing projects were identified. To assess the research questions, a quantitative survey (n=103) was carried out, simple random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select contractors who were active in low-income housing projects within the Polokwane Municipality. The quantitative data gathered were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to determine a combination of descriptive and non-parametric statistics of the data computing the frequencies, mean scores and standard deviations. Selected results show that poor-quality and low-income housing projects are perceived to be related to the contractors, builders and construction practitioners not complying with the standards, variously because of insufficient training or accountability to public authorities and end users of low-income houses, i.e., the beneficiaries. The respondents were of the view that house builders and local government authorities could use five factors, namely quality standards, management, involvement of people, process design and process, planning and scheduling to assess non-conformance to quality requirements in low-income housing projects in South Africa. The finding of this study provides a platform for improving the quality of housing design, construction projects, sustainability and an opportunity for local and international design and construction professionals to rethink design in the context of low-income housing projects.