Project management
is the science of delivering objectives
under conditions of certainty.
We handle uncertainties too

Thomas Swana

A native South African, born into circumstances of disadvantage and driven to exile in childhood, Thomas Swana was raised and educated in the UK. After emigrating to America, he joined McDonalds Corporation USA. Named McDonald Construction Manager of the Year in 1988 and winner of the company’s President’s Award 1989, Thomas Swana held top positions with Chevron and Caltex in South Africa, Singapore and McDonald’s in America.

With the dissolving of the apartheid era he felt a calling to return home to continue a career involved in the transformation of the new South Africa. In 2004, after returning to South Africa, he established UkuZwana Holdings(Pty)Ltd and UkuZwana Project Management in Cape Town to provide entrepreneurial ventures and consulting services to the project management sector.

Portfolios he has held include regional responsibility strategic asset management, site development, facilities support and as construction director of restaurant development. He was also director of construction for John Fowler Resorts in San Diego and planning engineer for John Laing Construction in London.

His work experience includes
  • Establishing dedicated teams to focus on strategic initiatives
  • Leading design teams to create fit-for-purpose designs for co-branded use
  • Leading development implementation teams responsible for the completion of 700 projects generating more than US $1-billion in sales
  • Creating solutions to enable renewed growth with a low-cost approach
  • Playing a leading role in the implementation of Total Quality Management
  • Managing multiple and concurrent construction processes of restaurants and service stations including
    new facilities and remodels worth an average US $1.5 million each
  • Leading the construction, development and maintenance of a network of holiday resorts in America
  • Optimising operational network of 1200 service stations
  • Development of Elangeni Luxury Lodge www.elangeni.net
  • Consultant to Provincial Government of the Western Cape
  • Teaching project management as a lifeskill in previously disadvantaged communities
Brendon Cloete
  • BCom  (Hons) Transport Economics & Informatics (UNISA); Currently doing MSc Project Management (UCT);  Customs Clearing and Freight Forwarding  (School of Shipping)
  • NGO sector : Poverty Relief Projects Evaluator for Impumelelo Innovations Trust.
  • Sizwe Ntsaluba VSP: (2003-2006) Information Systems Risk Management & Business Continuity Planning Consultant; Company Economist; Forensics investigations, IT Auditing.
  • Transport Clients include Spoornet & Gauteng Provincial Government Department of Transport and Public Works.
  • Provincial Government of the Western Cape  (2006-2009) Department of Transport & Public Works:
    • Transport Economist –Detailed Design for the restructuring of road-based, subsidised scheduled public transport in the Western Cape;
    • Project Co-ordindator - Intelligent Transport Systems (Automatic Vehicle Location System) and Integrated Fare management system for the restructured public transport system.
  • System to provide:
    • GPS satellite tracking for fleet, subsidy, capacity and schedule management for 2000 buses and 8 000 minibus taxis.
    • Real-time passenger information to the users and stakeholders.
    • Electronic fare collection using contactless (RFID) smartcard technology to manage 2 million transaction/day
  • Duties include Project Administration, Project Financial Management and Project Technical Quality Management & General Administration;  Representing the Department in the City of Cape Town Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Steering Committee.
Marcus Van Wyk
  • BA in Human Movement Studies and Psychology (UWC: 1997)
  • Other Educational Qualifications:
    • Designing successful educational programmes (UCT: 2001)
    • Principles of Solid Waste Management Planning (USA Environmental Protection Agency: 2001)
    • Planning and Management of Special Events (Non-Profit Resource Training cc: 2003)
    • Project Planning and Design Workshop (Non-Profit Resource Training cc: 2004)
    • Project Management (Cape Peninsula University of Technology: 2005)
    • Corporate Social Investment Programme (Siyakhula Trust: 2009)
  • Has a diverse skill set in the following areas:
    • Facilitation, Training, Waste Management & environmental awareness, Event Co-ordination, Project Management, Networking, Community Development, Stakeholder Engagement, Public Participation processes, Relationship Management, Sports Coaching, Marketing & public relations, NGO Development, Social Responsibility, Strategic Planning & Organizational Development.
  • His work experience includes:
    • Sport Development Co-ordinator (City of Cape Cape Town) Managed a team of coaches working in previously disdavandtaged areas in primary and high schools and community centres

    • Projects and Events Co-ordinator (The Fairest Cape Association) Project Managed environmental projects on behalf of corporates and the City of Cape Town. Facilitation and training (Waste Management and Environmental Awareness) workshops in communities, schools and business. Marketing and public relations of The Fairest Cape Association. Managed waste infrastructure of major events in Cape Town. Nertworking and building relationships with National, Provincial and local government structures, commmunities and corporates.

    • Sub Consultant - managing a river cleaning project (component of the Western Cape Cleanset Town Award)

    • Sub Consultant – part of a team that facilitated the public participation process for the City of Cape Town’s Spatial Development Framework

    • Sits on two technical committes (SABS) – Health and Safety at Events and ISO Guidance Document on Social Responsibility

    • Sustanibility Manager (Zoe-Life – an HIV/AIDS organization) – Drafting an NGO Development Framework and CSI framework Linking organisations and individuals for potential partnerships with Zoe-Life and Organisational Sustainability

    • Relationship Manager (UkuZwana Holdings (PTY) LTD) Networking, Corporate Social Responsibility, Project Management, Community Development, Organisational Development and Strategic Planning, Business Development, Facilitation and Training, Relationship Management

    • Part of a network of consultants that provides strategic intervention into various organizations depending on certain levels and types of intervention required.
Paul Stöhrer
  • Management Development Programme (Natal Technikon)
  • Project Management (UCT)
  • Management of Labour Intensive Construction Projects (LIC NQF 5 – CETA)
  • Currently completing an MBA at MANCOSA
  • IT Sector: Business Systems Development; Systems Operations Management; Data Management & Warehousing; Facilities Management; Disaster Recovery Planning & Implementation; Systems Risk Management
  • IT Platforms / Architectures: IBM; Oracle; ERP / MRP; Windows; Novell; Linux; OS/400; SQL; Web Sphere
  • Applications: Kronos -Time & Attendance; Vizual – Human Rescource; KeyMaster & Front Desk – Access Control; Business Systems 3x – General Ledger; Solutions 6 – Fixed Assets Register
  • Work Experience:
    • Containerization & Logistics:
      • Business systems integration between shipping agents and client / customer platforms
      • Process Mapping - Packing / Unpacking processes; Customs & Excise processes; Warehousing & Distribution processes; billing processes
    • Manufacturing & Logistics:
      • Information Systems Management & Logistics Executive
      • Implementation of Real-Time Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) / Materials Resource Planning (MRP) / Supply Chain Management systems
      • Development of Capacity Planning, Production Monitoring & Critical Part Analysis systems
      • Development of Just in Time (JIT) Material Supply & Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems
      • Integration of Production systems and Financial systems (Costing Models, Creditors, Debtors, General Ledger)
      • Integration of Automated processes (PLC’s), performance monitoring & management systems
      • Development of Warehousing & Distribution systems (Inventory control, distribution planning, kitting, serial tracking)
    • Provincial Government of the Western Cape
      • Consultant & Project Manager Mentor
      • Implementation of Enterprise Portfolio Management Systems and Developing / Documenting “Best Practices”
      • Team member in drafting the cabinet approved “Up-scaling of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP)” in the Western Cape
      • Project Manager – Umsebenzi Unemployed Person’s Database and Web Portal
Mercia Davids
Cape Town born Mercia Davids left South Africa due to the political dispensation of the day, for London, England.  Although a trained teacher then, she embarked on a secretarial course and entered the world of commerce in London She also worked in France and Holland.  She was invited back to her secretarial college in London to work in the front office and teach at the school during evenings and this experience eventually saw her managing the subjects as taught in schools in the local education system.

She then went to Nigeria where she headed up a commercial college for three years. Soon after Zimbabwe’s independence she assisted in setting up the United States Agency for International Development office.  She worked as a program specialist in the areas of housing, family planning as well as HIV and AIDS for over 20 years.  She gained singular successes during this period and has various citations and certificates of appreciation, achievement and unit citations.  While in Zimbabwe she attained a Montessori Teachers Diploma and a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education.  She is a recent returnee to South Africa. Given the new administration in South Africa she returned here to continue working in the areas of development and teaching to assist in transformation of the new South Africa.

Presently she volunteers her teaching services at the Alpha School for learners with Autism.  She also voluntarily assists Umthombo Wesizwe a local PBO in fund raising for programs in identity development in pre-teens. She has conducted a 2 day training session for Abafazi in Conflict Management.

  • Her work experience includes:
    • Vast experience in administration of development assistance programs and projects to include design, monitoring and evaluation. Projects ranged in funding levels from $1 million to $15 million.
    • Considerable teaching and training experience in teaching children and adults. She taught at the South African Institute of Language Training teaching English to Spanish and Polish students. Training experience includes academic subjects, secretarial subjects, development assistance subjects and conflict mitigation.
    • Ms. Davids has excellent communication skills and has a very effective style of teaching.