Lowveld - NOV 2020

It’s a cold and misty morning when
we arrive on site at The Rest Nature
Estate in Mbombela to have a quick
preview of Nel Developments’ newest
residential property project. For the
builders on site, the cool Lowveld
morning comes as a welcome relief
from the usually sweltering days they
spend in the sun crafting 700sqm
masterpieces. There are some of
us who forget when we sit in our
air conditioned offices that some
industries are tougher than others.
The owner and founder of Nel
Developments, George Nel, builds
with passion. He turns bricks,
cement, roof tiles, wooden beams,
cornices, skirtings, sand, water and
hours of manpower into functional
and welcoming works of art. Like
monuments of his dedication to
quality work and homes to be proud
of, his completed structures can
be seen all over Mbombela. When
meeting this unassuming father of two
you immediately realise that his love
of building homes is not only a means
to earn an income, it is also a way to
provide job security for his staff and to
support local businesses.
George arrived in Mbombela in
2002 and started building residential
properties in 2006. He began by
building spec homes from building
packages to later establishing
residential properties as completely
managed projects. George and his
team of loyal staff, whom he has been
working with since 2006, share an
apprecation for construction. They also
share a love of their main supplier and
George is grateful for his partnership
with BUCO Nelspruit.
“You actually can’t do any of this
without their support and service,”
he says as he affectionately taps
Craig Handley, BUCO’s internal sales
representative, on the shoulder.
A quiet fellow with a permanent smile,
Craig looks after the Nel Developments
account. He doesn’t talk much, but you
know that George relies heavily on his
“just a phone call away” approach to
service delivery.
“We don’t often get a chance to thank
BUCO for their excellent service. It is a
company that cares and from Pottie
at the helm, to Wayne at deliveries, no
one is ever too busy to listen,” George
says regarding the communication needed between client and supplier, to be
able to churn out only the best. He has much of which to be proud. His work
is completed to perfection and often within constrained time frames. Clients
can call on George at any time if they have an issue with his craftsmanship. He
will always be there to make sure that they and every resident of the property
thereafter, live in a home that is safe, neat and comfortable.
It comes as no surprise that Nel Developments and BUCO have a special bond.
Both have the same ethos and share a vision of perfection, passion and product
satisfaction. Each one provides essential pieces to the puzzle. In the end, like
George says, it cannot be done alone.
Nel Developments and BUCO Nelspruit build together.
Craig Handley, George Nel and Franciska Oosthuizen
November Get It Lowveld 43