55
YEARS
1964 - 2019
ORIGIN AND BRIEF HISTORY OF KMAQS
KMAqs originated from a partnership founded in 1964 by de Leeuw Malan and Carl Klopper. Both de Leeuw and Carl came from the ranks of the then Public Works Department (PWD) (Carl had only qualified as a QS in 1958 and was still in the junior ranks, but de Leeuw held the post of Deputy Chief Quantity Surveyor of the Department). Entrepreneurship won the battle over security and they could no longer resist the temptation to venture into the unpredictable, but exciting, world of the private practitioner
The practice opened doors on 1 October 1964 at Constantia Building in Andries Street, Pretoria, practising under the style of MALAN & KLOPPER BOUREKENAARS
It would be an inexcusable omission not to make specific mention of Carl's younger brother, Koos Klopper, who played a very important role in the establishment and growth of our practice. He was the first addition to the workforce, appointed in 1965 on a part-time basis only, being a student at the University of Pretoria
As Koos grew in stature, he became an indespensable cog in the machinery, was co-opted as a partner soon after he qualified as a QS and could in fact also be classified as a founding member
The practice grew with rapid strides necessitating more staff appointments and the co-option of additional partners (Piet van Wyk, Eddy Botbijl, André van der Merwe, Till Kuntze and Pierre du Plessis). At its peak the practice had a staff complement of over twenty members and also had three branch offices (Port Elizabeth, George and Sunnyside, Pretoria)
In 1985 de Leeuw retired and the Klopper brothers took over the reins. Carl and Koos came to an agreement to put something back into the profession which had treated them so well over the years. Carl, who obtained a DSc(QS) degree in 1985, chose to devote more time to lecturing at the University of Pretoria - initially on a part-time basis, but in 1992 became a permanent full-time professor in quantity surveying introducing a new MSc degree course by coursework with the proviso that he could retain his ties with his professional practice
He retired from his academic post in 2001 and returned to full-time private practice. Koos, on the other hand, chose to do more committee work for the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors and served a term as President of the Association
In line with the newly introduced national initiatives, the practice was restructured in 1998 to accommodate equity sharing with previously disadvantages individuals - the legal entity of the practice was changed from a partnership to a company, KLOPPER MOLEFE ASSOCIATES (PTY) LTD (KMAqs), with Oliver Molefe, a black entrepreneur in the building industry practicing as a project manager, being appointed as a fellow director with Carl and Koos
Unfortunately, Koos lost a courageous battle with cancer and passed away prematurely in 2005 leaving a big gap in the heart of KMAqs. Carl nevertheless decided to keep the practice going
In 2007 Carl decided to start a revival campaign by introducing young blood into the practice, As a first step, he roped in his grandson, Carl Klopper Ridgard, whom he had earmarked at an early age as his successor, to join him as a director of the company. Carl Jnr had done his compulsory practical training during his studies at the University of Pretoria with the practice and, after graduating with a BSc Hons(QS) degree in 2002, joined a prominent construction company to also gain experience from the other side of the table
John Ridgard, Carl Ridgard's younger brother, was the next recruit in Carl's campaign. John was an excellent rugby player at the Pretoria Afrikaans High School and had it not been for unfortunate neck injuries would have pursued a career in rugby in the United States. John joined the practice as a student in 2006, completed his BSc(QS) degree and in 2011 obtained a BSc Hons(QS) degree and finally decided to pursue a career as a quantity surveyor in the practice
The revival campaign is still ongoing and KMAqs is confident that they will reach and maintain the rating as one of the better practices in our country
In conclusion KMAqs is proud to declare that they maintain strong core values and work ethics and has chosen the Creator of heaven and earth as the cornerstone of their practice. KMAqs is striving for excellence and is committed to delivering work and service of the highest standard