The South African construction industry is vital to the nation’s socio-economic development, contributing to infrastructure delivery, employment creation, and empowerment initiatives outlined in the National Infrastructure Plan (NIP) 2050. However, the sector faces significant challenges, including violence and extortion on construction sites, exacerbated by governance failures, policy uncertainty, and socio-economic inequalities. This study aims to explore the impact of these challenges, evaluate current mitigation efforts, and provide strategic recommendations for ensuring safer construction environments. A qualitative research methodology was adopted, utilising semi-structured interviews with six experts, each with over 20 years of firsthand experience dealing with violence and extortion in the South African construction sector. The experts from various provinces provided diverse insights into regional and national industry issues. Purposive sampling was employed to select respondents with expertise and practical knowledge. Data collected from the interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis, enabling the identification of key patterns and themes related to governance, community engagement, and law enforcement. The findings revealed that while current mitigation efforts, such as social facilitation, private security deployment, and legal tools, have shown limited success, challenges such as slow legal processes, inconsistent enforcement, and underreporting hinder their effectiveness. The study recommended formalising social facilitation frameworks, strengthening law enforcement capabilities, improving community engagement through training and employment initiatives, and fostering stakeholder collaboration. These measures aim to restore investor confidence, ensure project safety, and support the sustainable growth of the South African construction industry.