Meet the Team – Methembe Khanye, Senior Quantity Surveyor

Successful project delivery relies on clear communication, early alignment and strong cooperation. To explore how these principles shape our work, we sat down with Methembe Khanye, Senior Quantity Surveyor, to share her insights on cost management, early-stage coordination and the benefits of practical, on-site learning.

Promoting Collaborative, Informed Decision-Making

A significant part of Methembe’s work centres on helping clients achieve informed, reliable decisions from feasibility through to final delivery. Her responsibilities include cost planning, procurement advice, change management and contractual guidance, all of which depend heavily on alignment between the project team.

She emphasises the importance of joint working early on… “bringing designers, contractors and cost managers together earlier in the process gives clients more clarity and fewer surprises later on.”

For her, transparent communication is not an optional extra, it’s a fundamental driver of cost and programme certainty.

Practical Insight Strengthening Cost Advice

Having worked across residential, commercial and specialist projects, Methembe values the link between design intention and real construction activity. “You learn much faster when you’re physically on site, seeing the impact of what’s been designed,” she explains.

This practical involvement enables her to forecast risk more accurately and identify opportunities to deliver value for clients.

Among her project experience, she highlights the extension to the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Tour kitchen as a particularly rewarding commission. The fast-paced environment and the ability to directly enhance visitor experience made it, in her words, “a great example of how collaborative effort translates into real results for the client.”

Navigating Challenges with Confidence

While Methembe enjoys the variety and teamwork that characterise the industry, she acknowledges that parts of the role require resilience, particularly when managing challenging cost discussions.

“Difficult conversations with contractors can be stressful, and it’s never easy reporting cost overruns to a client,” she notes. These moments, however, reinforce the importance of informed decision-making, accurate forecasting and early-stage coordination.

Committed to Supporting Future Professionals

Becoming a Chartered Surveyor represents a significant milestone in Methembe’s career, particularly as someone who joined the industry after starting out in finance. This lived experience informs her approach to supporting those at the beginning of their careers.

Her advice is practical and direct “Get involved as early as you can. Whether you’re an apprentice or a graduate, hands-on experience will shape your understanding far more quickly than theory alone.” She strongly advocates for apprenticeship pathways, noting their value in combining academic learning with real-world project exposure.

Shaping Better Industry Practice

Looking ahead, Methembe sees real progress in the industry’s move toward more integrated procurement and design practices. “When teams are aligned early, clients benefit from better cost certainty, clearer programmes and fewer changes during construction.”

She believes this shift is key to achieving the predictability and efficiency clients increasingly seek.

A Professional with Broad Interests

Beyond her work, Methembe’s interests reflect her appreciation for culture, history and personal development. She cites Rome as a favourite destination for its architecture and heritage, and Up from Slavery as a book that resonates for its themes of resilience and perseverance. 

Methembe Khanye PgDip MRICS
Senior Quantity Surveyor
+44 (0)7564585976
methembe.khanye@watts.co.uk