The South African Council for the Architectural Profession (Sacap) has warned those seeking to improve their homes or build new ones against throwing all their hard-earned cash into an endless hole by hiring an unregistered architect.
The warning follows a landmark case in which Wally Brown was convicted for masquerading as an architect recently.
Sacap spokesperson Siphamandla Nyembe told Sunday World that on June 6, 2023, the council received a complaint against Brown.
It was alleged that Brown, operating under the business name Barefoot Design, was appointed to prepare building plans for a couple’s residential home in Hermanus, the seaside town east of Cape Town in Western Cape, and to obtain approval from the local municipality.
After accepting a deposit of R3 000, Brown became unresponsive and offered various excuses for his failure to deliver plans until the fed-up couple approached the authorities.
Nyembe said a Sacap investigation confirmed that Brown was not registered with the council as required by law and referred the matter to Hermanus police in Western Cape for further investigation.
“Sacap reported the case to the police because it does not have jurisdiction over unregistered persons who are rendering architectural services to the public.” He said later the Hermanus Magistrate’s Court found Brown guilty and sentenced him to a R3 000 fine or three months in prison, both suspended for three years.
Nyembe said unregistered individuals in architectural services pose a significant risk to the quality, safety and integrity of any building structure.
He said the result is poor design quality and non-compliance with building regulations and municipal bylaws, which create safety hazards.
He said homeowners who hire unqualified architects risk project delays, emotional distress due to incomplete or substandard work and financial ruin.
He added that any substandard work erodes the public trust in the architectural profession and undermines the council’s mandate to uphold professional standards and protect the public interest.
He warned would-be fake architects that engaging in architectural work without registration is a criminal offence.
He said this case highlights the urgent need for continued enforcement of the law and public awareness regarding the risks of engaging illegal architects.
Building your own home could be a rewarding experience that gives the homeowner the house of their dreams, designed specifically for them at a reasonable price.
But Nyembe warned that chasing a bargain at all costs by hiring someone who is unregistered because they quoted the lowest price could be counterproductive, as it was in this case.
At the end of the trial, the couple had no house, and their pockets were thousands of rands lighter. He said citizens can visit the Sacap website to confirm that the potential contractor is registered. The search can be by province or by the person’s surname.
