Founded with a clear vision to connect exceptional talent with organisations poised for growth and impact—built from the ground up, one placement at a time.
"There were no shortcuts, no guarantees—just an unwavering belief in our mission and the drive to make a meaningful mark in the recruitment industry."
Construct Executive Search was founded with a clear vision: to connect exceptional talent with organisations poised for growth and impact. What began over a decade ago in the heart of Sandton, Johannesburg—without a track record or an established name—has since evolved into one of South Africa's most respected and trusted recruitment agencies.
From humble beginnings in an apartment office, CES was built from the ground up by its founder, who was the sole employee at the time. With determination, vision, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, it grew from a one-person startup into a respected agency serving clients across Southern Africa.
We still remember those early days: working through the December holidays, chasing leads, and holding onto the hope that one response could change everything. That pivotal moment came when one of South Africa's top five construction firms believed in the founder and her vision—leading to the first successful placement and laying the foundation for what CES would become.
Today, Construct Executive Search is a proudly female-owned and female-led organisation, headquartered in Johannesburg, with a presence in Cape Town and a growing footprint in Lusaka, Zambia. We serve clients across Southern Africa, delivering recruitment solutions that are strategic, ethical, and impactful.
Kabwe is the founder of Construct Executive Search, a firm that has evolved steadily over twelve years while remaining firmly rooted in its core mandate: retained executive search within a defined, specialist market. As the practice matured, her work expanded naturally beyond search into the broader drivers of executive attraction, retention, and organisational sustainability, most notably remuneration and Total Rewards.
This evolution positioned her as a Reward Analyst and Total Rewards Specialist, with a strong foundation in remuneration advisory, HR practice, and executive talent strategy. Through this integrated lens, she supports organisations in making informed, data-driven reward decisions that improve pay competitiveness, internal equity, retention outcomes, and offer acceptance rates, particularly within technical and scarce-skills environments where reward strategy directly influences leadership continuity.
From inception, her aim has been to challenge the status quo by offering specialised, insight-driven advisory that addresses real market dynamics rather than generic HR or recruitment solutions. Her practice operates precisely at the point where reward governance, executive search, and organisational sustainability converge, a positioning that is rare and, within the South African advisory landscape, distinctive.
"My work sits at the intersection of reward strategy, retained executive search, and organisational sustainability, where remuneration competitiveness plays a critical role in retention, business continuity, and long-term workforce stability."
She currently serves on a board with a specific focus on remuneration and Total Rewards, and her ambition is to become a recognised thought leader in REMCO practice, adding measurable value to organisations through effective remuneration governance, employee wellbeing frameworks, and sustainable retention strategies.
To emerge as a thought leader within our specialised niche of recruitment and selection, shaping organisational practices and setting industry standards. Our vision extends to becoming a highly successful, renowned, and profitable business—contributing significantly to the reduction of the unemployment rate in South Africa while fostering the growth and prosperity of our valued clients.
To become the leading specialist recruitment agency in the technical sector across South Africa and Africa. We aim to empower young professionals, uphold professionalism, expand our presence across the continent, partner with like-minded clients, and achieve sustainable, profitable growth.
We are committed to offering unparalleled recruitment and selection services that transcend conventional practices—infusing every client interaction with innovation and expertise. Through transparency, mentorship, and purpose-driven actions, we aspire to guide individuals towards a life of purpose, creating a positive and lasting influence within our sphere.
Our values are rooted in excellence, integrity, and innovation—guiding us to deliver outstanding recruitment solutions with professionalism and foresight. We embrace collaboration as a core strength, working closely with clients and partners to achieve shared success. Above all, we believe in fostering a culture of fulfilment, contentment, and genuine appreciation where our team finds purpose and passion in everything we do.
