Graham Muller Associates C.C. (GMA)
Graham Muller Associates C.C. (GMA) is a consultancy specialising in economic research, development planning, economic modelling, business planning, financial modelling, costing studies (including Activity based costing) and management accounting. The firm was founded in 1997 by Graham Muller, a former partner of Deloitte and Touche Consulting Group, as a result of a decision by that firm to close its Durban office due to globalisation of its operations. The team of professionals at GMA has economic research and management accounting experience dating back more than thirty years with an impressive history of successful project implementations behind them.
The collective skills and experience base of GMA consultants is extensive and represents a broad set of core competencies unrivalled in one independent organisation in KwaZulu-Natal. The skills cover economists, accountants, tourism specialists, geographers, information technologists, local government specialists, development planners and social scientists. GMA has a policy of promoting environmental responsibility in all of its activities and project work. GMA is committed to maximising opportunities for capacity building, empowerment and skills transfer in respect of client personnel.
In terms of the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Act No. 53 of 2003, Graham Muller Associates CC is designated a micro enterprise and is accorded level 4 (100%) recognition in terms of government BB-BEE ratings. A certificate from an approved BB-BEE rating agency attesting to this is available on request.
Experience
GMA have undertaken business planning, financial modelling and investment appraisals for many of the more significant projects in KwaZulu-Natal over the past decade (and also of a number of international projects). Some of the more recent projects include:
• Port master planning and investment options appraisal for all the major South African ports for Transnet
• Business planning for SA Weather related to commercialistion of mnay of the weather bureau’s services
• The Mondi paper mill expansion at Merebank
• The Engen refinery expansion in the South Durban Industrial Basin
• A woodchip export terminal at Richards Bay
• The New Forest Game and Fishing Estate at Fort Nottingham
• The Avenol Country and Fly-fishing Estate in the Dargle Valley
• The Balgowan Equestrian Estate in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands
• A proposed second hotel at the International Convention Centre, Durban
• A new forest products pulp mill at Richards Bay
• A cableway and associated resort development in the Drakensberg
• Tourism resorts in the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park
• A proposed new interchange on the N2 national highway
• An indigenous Botanic Garden adjacent to the Hawaan Forest, Umhlanga Rocks
• The uShaka Island Marine Park at the Durban Point Waterfront
• The Durban Point Waterfront Master Plan
• The King Shaka International Airport at La Mercy
• A new open–cast gold mine in Tanzania (Buzwagi District)
• Irrigated indigenous forests in the Al Ain District of Abu Dhabi, UAE
A selection of the recent reports from these projects can be found at http://grahammuller.wordpress.com/
Other relevant projects that GMA have undertaken include business planning for health sector supplies on behalf of the eThekwini Municipality, restructuring of the Public Affairs Dept. of the University of Natal prior to the merger with the University of Durban-Westville, cost modelling of health care services for the Western Cape Province (clinics and hospitals) and a cost benefit evaluation of air ambulances versus ground ambulances for the SA Red Cross Association.
Experience covers economic research, financial and economic modelling, cost management, strategic planning, corporatisation and privatisation, industry based research, viability and feasibility studies, business and marketing plans, information technology, socio-economic impact studies, development planning, operational reviews and institutional studies.
The firm has recently prepared numerous publications relevant to business planning in KwaZulu-Natal, including:
1) KwaZulu-Natal Economic Review 2005 and 2008 - published by the Department of Economic Development & Tourism.
2) eThekwini Economic Review 2006/07 – published by eThekwini Municipality
3) KwaZulu-Natal Spatial Profile 2007 - published by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Local Government & Traditional Affairs
In 2005 the firm also prepared a sector report for the Department of Economic Development on the ICT industry in KwaZulu-Natal. The firm compiled the tourism asset database for KwaZulu-Natal for TKZN and designed and constructed the official tourism website for the province, www.zulu.org.za over a period of ten years.
In 2006 Graham Muller Associates completed a major four year local economic development programme in the Eastern Cape. The aim of this European Union funded programme was to achieve tangible economic and social development of previously disadvantaged communities through tourism development on the Transkei Wild Coast. The programme is funded at 12,8 million euros (About R128 million) involved working with the World Wildlife Fund, and rural municipalities, local community based trusts and tourism committees in the provision of capacity building, the facilitation of community and private sector partnerships, stimulating community based tourism business activities and the provision of policy and constitutional support to government.
Recent tourism industry focused local economic development planning work includes:
• Local economic development planning for:
• the Kingdom of Swaziland
• Matatiele Municipality
• Big 5 False Bay Municipality
• Amajuba (Newcastle) District of KwaZulu-Natal
• Mbizana District of the Transkei
• the Trans-Kalahari Corridor through Botswana and Namibia
• the Balgowan / New Forest Area of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands
• the Ilembe (Dolphin Coast) District of KwaZulu-Natal.
• Agricultural sector planning for the
• eThekwini Municipality in the Inanda area.
• for the Ndaka Municipality
• Forestry Sector - Al Ain District of Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)
Other past project work includes demand forecasting and cost benefit analyses for the Ports of Durban, Richards Bay, East London, Ngqura (Coega), Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Saldanha Bay, design of a freight transport database for KwaZulu-Natal (for the national Department of Transport), financial modelling for uShaka Island Marine Park, for a new hotel adjacent to the International Convention Centre Durban and for the proposed Catchment Management Agencies in the process of establishment by the Dept. of Water Affairs and Forestry. Recent economic impact studies undertaken by GMA include that for a new interchange on the N2, for a woodchip mill and export terminal at Richards Bay, for a new pulp mill at Richards Bay, for the Engen Refinery expansion in Durban and for the Mondi Paper Mill expansion at Merebank.
GMA has been involved inter alia in activity based cost management work at SA Weather Services, Gauteng Dept. of Sports, First National Bank, Ithala Bank, African Bank, Island View Storage, Sappi Forests, Total Oil, Portnet, Body Shop, Tibbett & Brittan and Merck Pharmaceuticals.
Our Clients
GMA’s clients include all three levels of Government (including the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government eThewini Municipality and most other municipalities in the KwaZulu-Natal), Transnet, SA Port Operations, Spoornet, Petronet, Engen, Mondi Paper, Sappi Forests, Island View Storage, KwaZulu-Natal Tourism Authority, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, uShaka Island Marine Park, International Convention Centre Durban, Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park Authority, Portnet, Eskom, Umgeni Water, African Bank, Ithala Bank, SA Breweries, SA Mint, Mercedes Benz, Adcock Ingram, ABE Industrials, Merck, Coats Threads, Robertsons Spices, Total Oil, Renfreight, Total Oil, Old Mutual and First National Bank.
Our consultants have also undertaken project work in the UK, USA, United Arab Emirates, Namibia, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana and Lesotho.
References
The following referees may be contacted to verify the quality of GMA’s work:
1) Gerry McDonald – Gijima Programme – Municipal District Baseline Studies – Tel. 031 310 5468 - Mobile: 082 858 8606
2) Themba Msomi – eThekwini Municipality – Health Sector Business Planning - Tel. 031 311 3824
3) James Seymour - Durban KwaZulu-Natal Convention Bureau - Tourism Industry Projects - Mobile: 082 9255508
4) Cosmos Hamadziripi – Dept. of Economic Development & Tourism – Mobile: 082 520 8715