Washirika 3 Oaks sprints towards a leading position in the construction sector
Interviewed by Tony Korsten Written by Ana Lorton, Asset Magazine, Issue 134 | March 2025
When an industry colleague compared the three ‘okes’ who founded construction company Washirika 3 Oaks (W3O), to legendary Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt, the comparison was not hard to understand. W3O has seemingly gone from 1 to 100 in ten seconds flat as a first-class construction business. But, says CEO Gavin Morrow, growth has not happened by accident but by design.
“We’ve set ourselves targets, we’ve actioned plans and we aim to achieve them. Sometimes we are a little bit short, sometime we overshoot but there is always a plan,” he tells Asset. “Director Sean Roberts and I started the company in Gauteng with a third partner, almost 20 years ago. Washirika means ‘partners’ in Swahili. A graphic designer friend created a logo with three acorns wearing hard hats, which we found really cool and so 3 Oaks was born.”
Initially the company focused on property development and strategic property deals, but when the market dipped in 2008 the partners decided to build up the construction side of the business. From residential refurbishments they quickly progressed to new builds and then entered the commercial construction sector, which has become their main area of focus. To date they have completed numerous projects for large corporates. Their offering is comprehensive, ranging from pure main contractor delivery right through to design and build.
A commercial focus and a reputation for excellence
Tim Scholtz, Business Development Executive, says W3O has several business units. “People are often surprised to learn how broad-based we are within the construction field. Our South African footprint is growing fast. We have W3O Cape Town, W3O Gauteng, W3O Projects, W3O Civils and W3O Design and Build. To add to our service offering, we also own a stake in a commercial solar company called Energy Capital Partners. All divisions have our Level 1 BBBEE certification, ISO certification and a passion for project delivery excellence!”
Chairman, Happy Ntshingila, joined the company in 2014. With a strong background in marketing and strategy he identified a need to corporatise W3O in line with its growth spurt, and strategise around the key real estate sectors it was best positioned to focus on. “There were certainly opportunities in the banking space, in retail, and growth potential in healthcare – where the company had already acquired a name for high quality builds. These sectors became our targeted areas and we committed to extending our reputation for excellence to all of them,” he says.
Happy believes the company followed the right trajectory – working quietly and consistently in the private sector and not overextending itself by rushing into the public sector arena. It was a plan steeped in humility. “Although we knew what we were capable of and how far we could grow, we chose our clients carefully and treated their work with total respect. This approach set the ethos for the business, and it’s a pillar we still stand by.”
Happy has stepped down currently and is on a sabbatical while he completes his pupillage with the Legal Practice Council. He will be back in the saddle in 2026.
Cornerstones of W3O
Sean has experience in all aspects of the construction industry and currently heads up the Design & Build division, whilst also focusing on growing the company’s property portfolio. He recalls that as the company’s construction portfolio started to expand and its name became known, the W3O team sat down to acknowledge the other supporting pillars of the business and ensure they were integrated into all business units.
“We wanted clients to view both us and the professional teams we are associated with as ‘real’. In other words as authentic and approachable. We also set a lot of store by ubuntu, believing that the sum of all our people is better than one individual. A further pillar is our determination to make the best effort we can in everything we do, all the time. When we recruit new staff, we look for people who totally relate to these cornerstones because in our view they are integral to our success and our growth.”
A growing Western Cape presence
Growth into the Western Cape was marked by the opening of a Cape Town office in 2016. Tim works between the Cape Town and Johannesburg offices, and is expanding the company’s presence in both regions. “The Western Cape region is busy. However labour is more expensive and site controls are tighter, but we’re making steady inroads in a market that is extremely cautious,” he says.
“Clients are beginning to grasp that we’ve actually worked on projects here for a number of years, have good experience and a track record of success with long-standing clients such as Absa, Shoprite Checkers, the University of Cape Town, Standard Bank and Life Healthcare. Growth in Cape Town is progressing so fast that we are having to carefully select future projects. We’re keen to develop longterm relationships with new clients and maintain a good balance of work across all real estate sectors.”
It was in fact strong client relationships of more than a decade in some cases, which prompted W3O to step into the Western Cape market with confidence. “50 to 60% of our annual revenue is from repeat clients, so that is substantial,” says Gavin, “and is testament to the good relationships we forge with our professional partners and clients, whatever the size of their projects.”
W3O’s project values top R500 million for Gauteng while Cape Town is amassing a portfolio ranging from R20 million to R300 million. In Gauteng, projects from R2 million to R15 million are managed by the W3O Projects unit, a smart strategic move which affords these projects the expertise of teams custom-created to work on smaller projects.
Resilience in the face of challenges
Being equipped with the skills and capacity to work on a range of project sizes, coupled with sheer grit, helped steer the company out of Covid-19 and back into the field of play, says Happy. “The challenges we faced were no different to what everyone else was facing. We sat around the boardroom table and we really dug deep and came out much better on the other side. We’re a bunch of guys who get along very, very well, in spite of the numerous challenges that come with our industry,” he adds.
After a challenging few years for the construction sector, margins are beginning to turn. Gavin believes this shift is partly due to the fact that there are fewer main contractors tendering. With more work on offer and less competition, construction companies can afford to push their margins.
“However, professional consultants’ fees are being squeezed so they are tending to extend themselves more than they should in terms of workload. They bring in juniors sooner than they necessarily should. The work is too technical and advanced for them, which means the information we are receiving is frequently not acceptable. This puts pressure on us, and as a result our construction costs can end up increasing. It’s a double-edged sword.”
With an industry under pressure because of a lack of project volume and the loss of experienced and well-qualified staff who have moved elsewhere, it has become even more imperative to upskill staff to work confidently and with consummate professionalism in their dealings with clients. Work must be delivered on time and on budget, and promises must be kept.
“We do whatever we promised we would do. W3O has a robust system of online cross-checks and balances, and if we can’t meet a commitment for whatever reason, we’re completely transparent in our communication. From years of experience we have found that clients respect and appreciate this,” Sean emphasises
Aiming for the top 10
As the company fast approaches its 20th anniversary this month, its pipeline of work bears witness to its growing market presence and stature. For W3O, success is measured by more than just its projects. It’s about continuous evolution, strategic leadership, and industry recognition.
“Over the years, key milestones have shaped our journey,” says Gavin. “From Happy’s transformative leadership to earning ISO9001:2015 and ISO45001:2018 certifications, our growth has been intentional. Notably, our work on the Nuclear Medicine Research Infrastructure (NuMeRi) at Steve Biko Academic Hospital was honoured at the 2024 Construction World’s Best Projects Awards, reinforcing our expertise in healthcare construction.”
While healthcare remains a significant focus for the group, W3O continues to cement its reputation across multiple sectors, including office, retail, banking, industrial, residential, education and hospitality. This success, however, is not the work of a few, but the result of a dynamic leadership team that has driven W3O’s expansion and excellence.
“Our expertise, commitment, and shared vision allow us to take on increasingly complex projects without compromising our values. Our leadership team is the driving force behind W3O’s continued success,” Gavin says in conclusion.
W3O is forecasting another strong year in 2025, and is ready to continue sprinting towards its goal of becoming a Top 10 Contractor in the country in the very near future.