OM Property Redevelopment & Electrical Upgrade

About the Client

Operation Mobilisation (OM) South Africa is the national branch of a major international Christian mission organization focused on training and deploying short- and long-term workers for global ministry.

Project Challenge

OM’s primary training base, established in 1987, was operating out of ageing, makeshift facilities that had fallen into disrepair and were inadequate for the growing number of trainees. The organisation envisioned a multi-million Rand, five-phase redevelopment to transform the site into a modern, global training campus for up to 120 students. A critical dependency for this large-scale expansion was a complete overhaul of the site’s electrical infrastructure, which was severely undersized for the proposed new facilities.

MMM South Africa’s Involvement

MMM South Africa was engaged as the specialist technical consultant for the electrical infrastructure component of the master plan. Our role was to conduct a thorough site assessment, perform a detailed load study based on the architectural plans for all new buildings (accommodation, lecture halls, kitchen, etc.), design a new, robust electrical reticulation system, and provide a detailed and reliable cost estimate for the entire electrical upgrade.

Technical disciplines involved

The core discipline was Electrical Engineering (Heavy Current). This included load calculations, liaising with the power utility (Eskom) for a supply upgrade from 50kVA to 315kVA, and designing a new site-wide distribution network with underground trunk feeders, distribution kiosks, and street lighting. This work was performed in direct support of a larger Civil Engineering and Architectural redevelopment strategy.

Key result, learning or implementation outcome

The key outcome was a professional, detailed, and actionable proposal for the complete electrical system upgrade. By providing a clear technical design and a reliable budget (R679,402.28), MMM South Africa equipped OM’s leadership with the critical data needed to confidently proceed with their broader R16.2 million redevelopment project. Our work provided the foundational blueprint for a safe, scalable, and reliable power supply, essential for ensuring the new, expanded campus could effectively fulfil its training mission for decades to come.