About Us

Blueprint is a consulting service providing research, advice and support in economic, public sector and private sector strategy and policy development in Southern Africa. Work is focussed on the research and development of effective strategies and policies for multinational firms in industry, government and parastatals concerned with industry and biodiversity and socio economic and spatial/environmental planning services linked with economic development projects and programmes. Familiar with the problems and opportunities that arise in various African settings (e.g., rural communities, towns and cities), Blueprint works in the design, development, management and evaluation of policies, programmes and strategies that promote economic, environmental and social development at local, national and international levels. Blueprint also works extensively in the SADC in the area of investment promotion, investor matchmaking, and programme and project development, as well as the development and implementation of appropriate communications and engagement strategies where relevant and as part of specific strategy programme and project briefs.

The company, which began in 1992, has been successfully working from its South African bases for over 20 years. It has offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Mpumalanga, the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal. Currently it is working on various projects which include the development of South Africa’s rhino protection strategy, the development of business and government partnerships in 6 provinces, the building of international and regional growth strategies for specific multinational South African base firms, a major poverty alleviation programme in the Eastern Cape, and the finalisation of a Gender strategy for South African women, through enterprise empowerment, in conjunction with the ILO and the dti. The company is also working with a consortium of international investors seeking investment in particular areas and sectors of South Africa.

 

Meet our Team

Image

Mavuso Msimang

Chairman

Read More Read More
Mavuso Msimang is the Chairperson of Blueprint. He has extensive experience in government policy in the area of conservation and biodiversity, and national IT systems, as well as in policy. He has served prior to entering the private sector, as Director General of the Department of Home Affairs, the CEO of the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) the CEO of South African National Parks (SANParks), the CEO of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (TKZN) and of the South African Tourism Board. Mavuso headed the highly successful RIM project for South Africa and is working with COGTA currently on the development of enhanced partnerships between the private and public sectors at district level as well as on other strategic development projects in spatial development and human settlements.

 

Image

Josie Rowe Setz

Group CEO

Read More Read More
Josie Rowe-Setz founded Blueprint in 1992, and grew it over time to a national firm which was from the beginning majority female and black owned and managed. She has grown the firm with the support of her partners to one with a presence in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape, with a satellite office in the Northern Cape.

Her areas of expertise include industrial research, strategy formulation, building and implementation planning, and policy development for heavy manufacturing industry and mining. She has worked with most of South Africa's multinational firms on strategic research and mid to long term business strategy development and implementation planning, as well as extensively with the SA government and parastatals on strategies for supporting South African industry sectors and rendering them truly competitive.

As part of her strategy work, Josie is an experienced consultation facilitator and researcher. She has implemented national consultative processes in the development of South Africa's new national Rhino strategy, South Africa's new Gender Strategy, and in the development of various industrial stimulation strategies, including a revision of the Industrial Development Strategy for the country of Ghana, inter alia. She is an accredited research assessor for the EU CAGE programme, guest lectures on Competitiveness on various undergraduate and post graduate University programmes, and has undertaken extensive work in conflict identification and management with the UN, as well as conflict resolution, diversity management and group dynamics management at the post graduate level.

She is currently engaged in the development of growth strategies for multi-national South African firms in the Steel, Cement and Packaging industries, and is working with COGTA on the development of business/government project development. Her current focus is on work building South Africa's competitive capability, at the company, sector, provincial (spatial) and national levels . She has a special pro bono interst in African Women's Economic Empowerment.

 

Image

Kevin Ponter

Financial Director

Read More Read More
Kevin has been with Blueprint for eight years and is Blueprints Financial Director. He is an experienced economist, and an expert in international and African trade. He is also an experienced project manager and has successfully managed a number of large and high profile projects to completion. These include the IDC’s National Tooling Assessment, the dti’s Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) Review and the City of Johannesburg’s Skills Hub Development Project. He has worked extensively in industrial and sector development strategy and policy. He speaks fluent English, Portuguese and Zulu. Kevin is responsible for the financial management and administration of all Blueprint projects as well as the company’s overall financial and administrative management as an executive function. Kevin started his carrier as a Trade and Economic Diplomat and served in South America and Egypt ending his diplomatic carrier in 1997 as Head of the Trade and Economic Office at the South African Embassy in Cairo. He attended Rhodes University where he completed an Honours Degree in Economics in 1984.

 

Image

 

 

 

 

Nolita Mkize

Regional Director - KwaZulu Natal

Read More Read More
Nolita Mkize is Blueprint's Regional Director for KwaZulu Natal and the Eastern Cape. She is responsible for the management of all projects undertaken by Blueprint in the public and private sectors in both Provinces. Nolita currently heads up the Department of Environmental Affairs Poverty Alleviation projects which Blueprint is currently implementing in the Eastern Cape, inter alia and is working on specific KwaZulu Natal tourism sector business development, infrastructure planning and human resource development. Nolita is also heading up projects linked to local economic development, particularly in rural areas and is currently involved in building investment partnerships in specific regions. She has a particular interest in the Green economy, and in Waste Management.