Business forums reflect the status of every country’s economy, yet there have been an umpteen number of reports stating that their engagement with project stakeholders is contrary to the successful completion of building projects. The study examines the factors influencing stakeholder engagement in the South African built environment through business forums. A quantitative approach through a clear questionnaire targeted at professionals in the South African built environment. The researchers distributed the respective questionnaire, and received 121-recorded responses. The descriptive analysis-using mean, standard deviation, and exploratory factor analysis outlined the results. The research findings found that business forum on stakeholder engagement within the South African built environment is affected by factors such as opportunism, a culture of corruption, and a culture of organized crime. The exploratory factor analysis grouped ten factors under three components. These are ‘development and economic policy objectives’, ‘crime and corruption’, and ‘opportunism in the built environment’. Aiming to enhance inclusive processes for stakeholders and to induce further cooperation, communication, and participation in deliberate decision-making, this study endeavors to develop a strategic perspective for business forums. It provides novelty because of its focused analyses concerning those factors affecting the engagement by stakeholders in the South African Business forums.