Publication: IMIESA
Issue: February 2017

Knight Piésold is a multidisciplinary consulting firm that has a long history in water delivery projects across all the integrated engineering fields, and was one of Africa’s foremost pioneers in hydroelectric power, which remains a core focus area to this day. Born in 1921, Knight Piésold is the oldest consulting engineering firm in South Africa, and probably Africa, and built its reputation in the mining sector, where the firm remains a design innovation leader, alongside its other multifaceted specialisations within the world of infrastructure.

Progressive expansion took place in Africa from the early 1920s and globally from the 1950s. “We remain one of the few totally independent, wholly owned South African engineering consulting firms operating worldwide. That’s a significant achievement,” says Leon Furstenburg, director, Knight Piésold, who has been an integral part of the firm’s design and construction management team on some of the Southern African region’s most strategic water projects.

These include the Katse Dam, Matsuko weir and tunnels, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) delivery tunnels and the Mohale Katse tunnel – all part of Phase I of the LHWP (Lesotho Highlands Water Project) and commissioned around 2004. Knight Piésold now forms part of the Metsi a Senqu-Khubelu Consultants joint venture appointed for the design and construction supervision of the Polihali diversion tunnels for Phase II of the LHWP. This JV contract commenced in September 2016 and will be completed in approximately 3.5 years. These diversion tunnels will facilitate construction of the new Polihali Dam, which is central to Phase II and scheduled for construction around 2020.

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