ACA Pulse Check 2026 – SA Insights
The SA results, based on 26 responses or 10% of the national cohort, reflect a market shaped by cost pressure, labour constraints and inefficiencies in procurement. Practices report that while work is available in certain sectors, securing it remains highly competitive and often resource-intensive. While the scale of the SA market is smaller, the challenges it faces are consistent with national trends, often amplified by workforce and economic constraints.
What’s driving the pressure
Cost escalation is a key concern, with respondents pointing to:
- Labour shortages
- Rising construction costs
- Government project spending influencing pricing.
At the same time, procurement processes are seen as inefficient. Practices describe tendering environments where large numbers of firms compete for limited opportunities, often with low success rates.
“Stop wasting our time with tenders where 19 firms submit – all-or-nothing, which is killing the industry and driving us to bankruptcy. A simpler, streamlined tender form adopted nationwide needs to happen.”
Workforce challenges
Attracting and retaining staff remains difficult, particularly in regional areas. Accommodation shortages and broader economic conditions are affecting the ability of practices to bring people into the state or retain them long-term.
“Always have a problem enticing staff to relocate to our large regional town. Accommodation shortage has just made this worse.”
Where opportunity is emerging
Respondents identify opportunities in:
- Education projects
- Heritage and conservation work
These areas provide some stability in an otherwise competitive environment.
“Increased demand for education work in SA.”
“We will be leaning into the heritage and conservation works side of our practice.”