I was born and grew up in the building industry with my grandfather and namesake Pieter Zacherius Durand, who served as one of the largest building contractors in the old Rhodesia. He had the honour of being involved in the construction of the Victoria Falls Hotel.

Growing up my father got us to do the manual labour of his building construction projects on our family farm in the Pilgrims Rest area. We had to build and maintain our own residence on the farm, as well as workshops, a barn and dam walls in the river with weir canals and trout dams.

I got involved in the building industry in 1979 when my brother and I started a kitchen company in Rosslyn; an industrial area of Pretoria. We fast became one of the biggest solid wood kitchen unit manufacturers in the greater Pretoria area. Our product ranges included in Imbuia, Kiaat, and American Oak. During this time I was involved in many big building projects and luxury housing developments in and around Pretoria and Johannesburg.

In 1986 I decided to move to Johannesburg, and focus on building construction only. In 1990 I registered Zander Projects CC and since that time I have been successfully operating as a building contractor in and around the greater Johannesburg area.

I have been commissioned to do structural projects involving double and multiple stories on logistically impossible and precarious terrain like on the edge of Northcliff’s North facing cliff and Observatory.

I have developed a reputation for my personal service, reliability, focus and attention to the smallest detail of project. Over the years some clients have called me back for the next phases in the improvement of their homes. The majority of my work comes directly from client referrals and recommendations.