The original business, Van Wyk en Louw Consulting, grew as one of the 'top 5' engineering consulting firms under apartheid, winning lucrative government contracts including management of 'townships' before changing its name to Africon during South Africa's transformation to democracy.

At the time of the merger, Africon was ranked amongst the world’s top 200 international design firms and was South Africa’s largest engineering company.

The organisation operated in both the public and private sectors within the fields of transportation, property, municipal services, energy and mining.

Connell Wagner was one of Asia Pacific’s largest multi-disciplinary engineering consultancies, with a history spanning more than 75 years.

Established in 1935, Ninham Shand was one of South Africa’s leading, privately owned companies of consulting engineers and environmental scientists.