Best Engineering Software in Africa

ActCAD is a native dwg/dxf cad software suitable for professional 2D drafting and 3D modeling projects. ActCAD is trusted by over 30000 users in over 103 countries for more than 10 years. The interface, commands, icons, dialogs, shortcuts etc. are very much similar to other popular cad software tools available in market. Flexible license types available even for single license. There is no learning for existing cad users while saving 80% of the costs. ActCAD offers free email technical support without any limitations. ActCAD can be fully customized and programs can be developed using our free API toolkit. It supports popular programming languages like , lisp dcl, .net, C++ etc. Apart from all regular commands, ActCAD offers many productive tools like pdf to cad converter, Block libraries, Image to Cad converter, handling point sets between Cad and Excel and many more. ActCAD is suitable for any high end professional projects in the domains of Architecture, Civil, Mechanical,Automotive

Altium Develop is a multidisciplinary product creation platform that breaks down silos and empowers teams to design collaboratively without limits. Built on Altium Designer and Altium 365, it unifies electrical, mechanical, software, sourcing, and manufacturing teams in a shared environment. Every comment, change, and decision is captured in real time, giving collaborators visibility without the need for constant check-ins. The platform enhances project outcomes by aligning requirements, supply chain data, and design context in one ecosystem. Manufacturing engineers and suppliers can provide feedback early, avoiding costly rework and delays. By transforming collaboration into true co-creation, Altium Develop helps organizations innovate faster, smarter, and with greater alignment across disciplines.

nanoCAD is a modern computer-aided design (CAD) platform that provides designers with powerful capabilities in 2D drafting and 3D modeling. nanoCAD can be used on its own as a cost-effective DWG-editor, or customized with essential modules: Construction, Mechanica, Raster, Topoplan and 3D Solid Modeling. 2D drawings and 3D solid models with 2D and 3D parametric constraints, and dynamic UCS for effortless sketching on 3D faces. Documentation drawings link to 3D models. Fully DWG compatible.

MicroStation by Bentley Systems is the trusted computer-aided design (CAD) software built specifically for infrastructure design. It enables architects, engineers, and designers to create precise 2D and 3D drawings that bring complex projects to life—from bridges and highways to utilities and smart cities. With powerful tools for design, documentation, and visualization, MicroStation helps professionals deliver projects faster, more accurately, and with greater confidence. The software natively supports DGN, DWG, and point-cloud data, eliminating file conversion hassles and improving collaboration across teams. Its robust environment connects applications, data, and users to ensure seamless project delivery at any scale. MicroStation is the foundation of modern infrastructure design—reliable, interoperable, and built for professionals who build the world.

Solid Edge is a portfolio of affordable, easy to deploy, maintain, and use software tools that advance all aspects of the product development process – mechanical and electrical design, simulation, manufacturing, technical documentation, data management, and cloud-based collaboration. Developed on Siemens industry leading technologies, Solid Edge provides the most innovative and comprehensive approach to product development for the mainstream market.

ideCAD One AEC is an Integrated multidisciplinary BIM Software for Architecture, Structural Engineering, and Detailing with Building Information Modeling (BIM). The Integrated Package provides Structural Engineers, Architects, and detailers with Integrated BIM, AEC, and CAD tools that support projects from early-stage design to construction. Create high-quality, high-performing Architectural and structural design with integrated design tools. Optimize projects with integrated Structural analysis, Steel design, Concrete design, Connection design, visualization, and simulation tools. Improve predictability in the field with integrated tools that maximize constructability and project coordination. Accelerate design processes and improve quality with integrated workflows for integrated design, modeling, multidiscipline coordination, and construction documentation.

CATIA is the world's leading solution for product design and experience. It is used by leading organizations in multiple industries to develop the products we see and use in our everyday lives. CATIA delivers the unique ability not only to model any product, but to do so in the context of its real-life behavior: design in the age of experience. Systems architects, engineers, designers, construction professionals and all contributors can define, imagine and shape the connected world. A Social design environment built on a single source of truth and accessed through powerful 3D dashboards that drive business intelligence, real-time concurrent design and collaboration across all stakeholders including mobile workers. An Instinctive 3DEXPERIENCE for both experienced and occasional users with world-class 3D modeling and simulation capabilities that optimize the effectiveness of every user. An Inclusive product development platform that is easily integrated with existing processes & tools.

FreeCAD is an open-source parametric 3D modeler made primarily to design real-life objects of any size. Parametric modeling allows you to easily modify your design by going back into your model history and changing its parameters. FreeCAD allows you to sketch geometry constrained 2D shapes and use them as a base to build other objects. It contains many components to adjust dimensions or extract design details from 3D models to create high quality production ready drawings. FreeCAD is a multiplatfom (Windows, Mac and Linux), highly customizable and extensible software. It reads and writes to many open file formats such as STEP, IGES, STL, SVG, DXF, OBJ, IFC, DAE and many others, making it possible to seamlessly integrate it into your workflow. FreeCAD is designed to fit a wide range of uses including product design, mechanical engineering and architecture. Whether you are a hobbyist, a programmer, an experienced CAD user, a student or a teacher, you will feel right at home with FreeCAD.

Onshape by PTC is the leading cloud-native CAD & PDM platform that runs on any device, anywhere-requiring zero IT. Onshape is for product design companies who are fed up with the errors, time waste, and hidden costs of outdated file-based CAD & PDM.

The FEA program RFEM allows for quick and easy modeling, structural and dynamic calculation, as well as the design of models with member, plate, wall, folded plate, shell, and solid elements. Due to the modular software concept, you can connect the main program RFEM with the corresponding add‑ons in order to meet your individual requirements. The structural analysis program RFEM provides structural engineers with a 3D FEA program that meets all requirements in modern civil engineering. Efficient data input and intuitive handling facilitate the modeling of simple and complex structures. The structural analysis program RFEM is the basis of a modular software system. The basic program RFEM is used to define structures, materials, and loads for planar and spatial structural systems consisting of plates, walls, shells, and members. The program also allows you to create combined structures as well as model solid and contact elements.

You work hard gathering your data. Don’t settle for subpar visualization. Utilize Surfer’s extensive modeling tools to display your data the way it deserves while maintaining accuracy and precision. Clearly communicate information related to geology, hydrology, environmental, construction and more with Surfer. Discover the depths of your data with Surfer’s numerous analysis tools, made specifically with engineers, geologists and researchers in mind. Adjust interpolation and gridding parameters, assess the spatial continuity of data with variograms, define faults and breaklines, or perform grid calculations such as volumes, transformations, smoothing, or filtering. Surfer quickly transforms your data into knowledge.

DigitalClone® for Engineering is the world's only gearbox reliability prediction solution integrating multiple scales of analysis in a single software package. In addition to modeling and analysis capabilities at the gearbox and gear/bearing levels, DC-E is the only solution available that models fatigue life based on detailed, physics-based models of the material microstructure (US Patent 10474772B2). DC-E enables construction of a gearbox digital twin with high value across all stages of the lifecycle of the physical asset - from design and manufacturing optimization to component supplier selection to failure root cause analysis to condition-based maintenance and to prognostics. This computational environment drives down the time and cost to bring new designs to the market and to sustain them over time.

PlusSpec is the most powerful, affordable and easy to learn 3D BIM/Virtual Design Construction & Estimating software for the Design & Construction Industry. From Design & Sales to Estimating & Procurement, PlusSpec offers one integrated solution created to help you become more efficient & profitable. PlusSpec has been made for people who are low on time, and we’ve included the support you need so you can quickly master the software. The only BIM software you can actually design with. Immerse your clients in 3D and sell your designs. Create professional 2D drawings. Manage client budgets. Develop stronger relationships with stakeholders. PlusSpec will allow you to do more than just quantify. Quote Fast. End Error and Oversight. Visualize Risk & Complexity. Transform the way you Communicate. Deliver more than just a Paper Quote. Whether you are Designing & Drafting, or Estimating & Building (or both), specifying products is a key part of the process.

Defining the state-of-the-art, DigitalClone for Additive Manufacturing (DC-AM) integrates a suite of metal additive manufacturing modeling and simulation capabilities for comprehensive design and analysis support with seamless interoperability. DC-AM implements a multiscale, multi-physics analysis approach linking the process - microstructure - fatigue relationship of additively manufactured parts to enable computational assessment of quality and performance. DC-AM promotes adoption of AM in safety-critical industries by providing unprecedented insight into the relationship between build conditions and the characteristics of the final part while enabling reduction in time and cost required to qualify parts and processes.

eZWalker Review, a 3D model visualization and collaboration software for engineering and construction projects, has a embedded XRE rendering core with independent IPR, which can seamlessly analyze various 3D system data of plants (PIM), buildings (BIM), machinery and etc.. The extreme lightweight capabilities for engineering models and data can meet various industrial customization purposes such as project visualization collaboration among the EPC general contractors, 3D model review by the designer, construction simulation by the constructor, visualization operation and maintenance training by the owner, etc., and can meet the platform requirements for the visualization management of the full lifecycle of digital assets to help owners achieve the goals of smart manufacturing and industry 4.0. At the same time, it can realize the synchronization of cloud data with PIMCenter, the full lifecycle information management platform for plant assets, which is independently developed by DMS.

h2x Engineering offers a user-friendly software solution to the traditional manual, tedious, and time-consuming design and calculation engineering tasks. Set up your project, add your required equipment, review the results, and export to PDF, AutoCAD, Revit, and more.

IronCAD significantly reduces manufacturing barriers and increases engineering productivity with intuitive 3D and 2D solutions for rapid design and seamless collaboration enterprise-wide. Create design iterations, proposals, and production drawings in less time and simply design faster than any other CAD system available today. What makes us different? IronCAD lets you design intuitively in the way you interact in the world, in 3D. With this easier and faster design approach over traditional CAD software, it’s a fundamentally better way to design. IronCAD gives you the speed to invent the future, with time left to watch it unfold. Skip repetitive steps so you can get to market faster, ahead of your competitors, and with far more return on your investment.

EPLAN Electric P8 is a consistent, integrated and fast engineering system for you to plan and design the electrical engineering for machines and plant systems. The software supports 2D computer aided engineering and a wide variety of engineering methods: from manual creation to standardized and template-based approaches. The project data, once entered into the schematic, becomes the foundation for the automated completion of machine and plant system documentation. In short, EPLAN Electric P8 electrical design software offers you much more than “just” drawing schematics and circuit diagrams. EPLAN Electric P8 automatically generates detailed evaluations for you as an integral component of the project documentation – either on an ongoing basis or combined after project completion, as required. Downstream process steps then get all the necessary information from engineering: from integrated planning to manufacturing, commissioning, maintenance and repair.