By Staff Writer
The South African office of the German software giant SAP is believed to have paid the Gupta front about R100 million “kickbacks” for state business.
The AmaBhungane and Scorpio said on Tuesday in a report that evidence suggests SAP used the Gupta influence network to drive sales of a billion rand to Transnet and other state-owned companies.
In August 2015, SAP signed a “sales commission agreement” with a small Gupta-controlled company that specialises in selling 3D printers, according to AmaBhungane and Scorpio in a report published on Tuesday.
The report revealed that the terms suggest a thinly disguised kickback arrangement: If the Gupta company were the “effective cause” of SAP landing a Transnet contract worth R100-million or more, it would get 10%.
In the year to follow, SAP paid the company, CAD House, a whopping R99.9-million, suggesting SAP used the Gupta influence network to drive sales of a billion rand to Transnet and other state-owned companies.
According to Amabhungane SAP denies it paid kickbacks or was party to laundering the payments, arguing that CAD House had “the necessary skills in terms of positioning our solution” and was paid a sales commission for acting as “an extension of the sales force”.
For more read Amabhungane article: #GuptaLeaks: Software giant SAP paid Gupta front R100m “kickbacks” for state business
Also read: SAP Skills for Africa Adds 101 Students to Digital Workforce
Students, SAP Africa partners, customers and executives gathered at Eskom’s Megawatt Park in Sandton for the SAP Skills for Africa graduation ceremony which celebrated the completion of an intense three-month digital skills training programme.
Now in its sixth chapter, the job creation initiative provides sustainable jobs to alleviate Africa’s unemployment crisis and included SAP partners and customers such as Eskom, Zimele Technologies, T-Systems, Britehouse, EOH, Accenture, Bosch, Clariba, Consnet, ICTWorx, Cornastone as well as MICT SETA, the government body which facilitates and accelerates the processes of quality skills development at all levels in the MICT sector.
“Seven of the 10 fastest-growing economies are on the African continent. By 2020, 80% of jobs are expected to come from the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field. We are all compelled to join forces and ready the workforce of the future, if we want to realise the continent’s economic potential. The SAP Skills for Africa programme is a vehicle which actively addresses both technology skills development and job creation and it continues to grow as more partners and customers participate in various geographies,” said Lawrence Kandaswami, Managing Director for SAP South Africa.
