The South African Association of Consulting Engineers (SAACE) was established in 1952, as a voluntary association of independent consulting engineers in private practice. In August 2008 the Association transformed from the South African Association of Consulting Engineers (SAACE) to Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA). CESA membership has, over the years, grown from 30 individual members in 1952 to 480 firms in 2011, which employ more than 22,000 people in total.