Iqbal called us racist, but this is why we’re rushing to his defence

Caroline James

3 May, 2025

There are few people who hate us more than Iqbal Survé, the chairperson of Independent Media.

Analysis: has the South African Reserve Bank gone rogue?

Sam Sole

2 May, 2025

An extraordinary multi-billion-rand battle is raging between the South African Reserve Bank and the surviving rump of the Steinhoff group, now named Ibex.

IDT Mistrust: Beleaguered IDT paid R33m to company belonging to CEO Tebogo Malaka’s family member

Azarrah Karrim

15 April, 2025

The beleaguered Independent Development Trust (IDT) paid a company directed by an apparent family member of CEO Tebogo Malaka over R33 million – mainly for school building projects – between 2011 and 2017.

Scam Empire Part 3: Money in, money out

Dewald van Rensburg

13 April, 2025

This investigation is based on a large leak of data originally provided to Sveriges Television, the Swedish national broadcaster, to which amaBhungane has gained access as part of a global consortium of media organisations coordinated by the OCCRP.

IDT mistrust: bid ‘manipulation’ in R436m road tenders brings Bulkeng back into spotlight

Azarrah Karrim

2 April, 2025

Signs of manipulation in award of R436m worth of road tenders, with largest going to Bulkeng, the company spotlighted in IDT health contract probe.

AmaB at 15: looking back, looking ahead

Sam Sole

19 March, 2025

Dear reader, I write to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the first article published under the amaBhungane banner.

Scam Empire part 2: behind the veil

Dewald van Rensburg

18 March, 2025

Two weeks ago we revealed the existence of an astonishing international syndicate allegedly scamming tens of thousands of people worldwide.

Scam Empire Part One: Inside the dark heart of a multinational investment scam

Dewald van Rensburg and OCCRP

5 March, 2025

A little-known Bulgarian entrepreneur named Boris Kodzhov has, since 2023, quietly made mammoth strides in the South African fintech sector.

#TheLaundry: the bullshit artist, the fuel traders and the Hong Kong front army

Dewald van Rensburg

16 February, 2025

On 16 October 2020 André Malherbe, an investigator at the South African Reserve Bank’s Financial Surveillance Department, got a phone call from one of the country’s best known alleged money launderers.

Trouble for Mazars over failed PetroSA deals

Susan Comrie

9 February, 2025

Mazars’ due diligence helped to green light three scandal-plagued deals between PetroSA, Russia’s Gazprombank Africa and notorious wheeler dealer Lawrence Mulaudzi.

Inside the PwC report: What really brought Steinhoff to its knees

Rob Rose for Currency, Financial Mail and amaBhungane

6 February, 2025

It is late November 2017 and Steinhoff, already Europe’s second-largest furniture retailer after Ikea, is scrambling to convince its auditor Deloitte to sign off its accounts for the year to September, due to be published a week later, on December.

IDT contractor embroiled in Health DG bribe allegations won highly suspect tender, new evidence shows

Azarrah Karrim

5 February, 2025

A trove of documents obtained by amaBhungane show how the Independent Development Trust (IDT) appointed a contractor embroiled in bribery allegations involving director general of the Department of Health Dr Sandile Buthelezi, despite obvious warning signs in the procurement process.