Gardening and Grounds Maintenance Services

Sentech SOC Limited, South Africa's state-owned broadcasting and telecommunications infrastructure company, has issued Request for Quotation RFX6000003765 for the appointment of a service provider to deliver gardening and grounds maintenance services at its Cape Town offices over a contract period of three years (36 months). The objective is to keep the office grounds, gardens, lawns, open spaces, trees, shrubs, garden pots, paved areas and external areas clean, neat, safe, healthy and aesthetically acceptable at all times. The total site covers approximately 16,000 m², including roughly 10,000 m² of open grass space. The appointed provider must supply all labour, supervision, equipment, machinery, tools, transport, materials and consumables, and must undertake a site inspection before submitting a quotation.

The scope of work is extensive. It includes grass cutting (minimum two cuts per month in winter and one per month in summer, with approximately 51 open-space cutting cycles priced over the contract), continuous weed control, garden bed and planter maintenance, routine pruning of trees, shrubs and hedges, fertilising, and composting (150 m³ total over the three years). Pest and disease monitoring, watering where irrigation does not reach, and maintenance of stormwater channels, drainage areas, manholes and ducting access routes are also required. Hard-surface sweeping, leaf raking, garden refuse collection and lawful disposal, and vacant-land clearing are included. Major tree felling or specialist arboricultural work is only performed on Sentech's instruction. Personnel requirements include a dedicated gardener working five days a week (07:30 to 16:00, excluding public holidays), a supervisor who inspects the site at least twice monthly, and a contract manager for reporting and client liaison. Monthly service reports and signed completion certificates are mandatory, and a Health and Safety File must be approved before work begins. Subcontracting requires Sentech's prior written approval.

Evaluation follows a three-stage process: administrative responsiveness (valid COIDA Letter of Good Standing and CIDB grading of at least 1SH are mandatory), functionality (minimum threshold of 75 out of 100 points, assessing company experience, a gardener payslip, client references and the supervisor's experience), and price and preference under the 80/20 model, with B-BBEE points awarded for the 20-point preference component. Bidders must submit quotations on company letterhead, signed in black ink, by email to Quotations6@sentech.co.za by 12:00 on 27 November 2026. A compulsory briefing session is scheduled for 13 November 2026 at 39b Silwerboom Avenue, Cape Town. Quotations remain valid for 90 days. Pricing is in South African Rand, exclusive of VAT, which is added at 15% in the pricing summary.