Africawide, a smart solutions provider, has been embroiled in cross-border controversy over tenders in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
In Zimbabwe, the company is involved in a squabble over the supply and installation of a telemedicine system with its partner on the project, Brightspace Innovative Solution Zimbabwe (BIS-Z).
In South Africa, where it is headquartered, the Pan-African technology consulting firm faces allegations of maladministration and irregular spending, in a multimillion-dollar Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) tender for the payment of stipends.
The contract, worth around R163 million, was awarded to an Africawide-linked company, Grayson Reed Consulting, via a consortium.
This comes hot on the heels of an extensive audit by the Auditor-General of South Africa, Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) and Werksmans Attorneys, all producing identical revelations against Africawide.
The R163 million tender included cost for services to be rendered, biometric card fees, biometric devices, administration of attendance, monitoring and disbursements per learner and data for students.
In OUTA’s far-reaching audit report, and basing its analysis on the evidence it uncovered, it recommended that “all those implicated should be held accountable”.
Doug Chiimba, MD of Africawide, Zimbabwe, who is also listed in the company’s online profile as a director for Africawide Group, criticised the OUTA investigation, saying: “The OUTA report in question is not focused on Africawide and is sensationalist in the extreme. It has since been discredited and no further action taken by OUTA.
“Africawide in South Africa is not the same as Africawide Zimbabwe Pvt Ltd. In Zimbabwe, there is no requirement to submit untested information during a procurement process in two separate countries.
“Africawide South and Africawide Zimbabwe are two separate entities of which I am the principal in Africawide Zimbabwe and you may direct queries on Africawide Zimbabwe through me.”
However, Rudie Heyneke, senior project manager at OUTA, told ITWeb Africa: “Based on our findings in the report you are referring to, OUTA has laid criminal complaints against the companies who made up the Grayson Reed consortium. Africawide was one of the consortium partners.
“As far as we know, the criminal investigation is still ongoing. It should be noted that after the release of our report, the involvement of Africawide with the SETAs became less and we have not seen any other tenders being awarded to Africawide subsequent to our report.”
On Friday, 18July 2025, OUTA hosted a podcast: “Whistle-blower exposé: Billions looted at Services SETA − and nobody has been held accountable” on YouTube.
In the podcast, Wayne Duvenage, OUTA CEO, sat down with “Ms Samson” − whose identity is protected − to unpack how billions of rands meant for youth development “were stolen, who benefited, and why the same people still hold power today. How did a company like Grayson Reed land a multimillion-rand tender to pay learners − and fail from day one?”
“Why are public funds still being funnelled to the same corrupt service providers, even after reports exposed the rot? And how does a whistle-blower go from saving the country money to being blacklisted and threatened into unemployment?”
OUTA said this isn’t just about the Services SETA.” It’s about a system that protects the corrupt and punishes the brave.”
In Zimbabwe, Africawide is embroiled in payment disputes with BIS-Z over the telemedicine project, under the telecoms regulatory authority, Postal & Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ).
The project is due for completion, but Africawide did not disclose material facts surrounding its alleged malpractice probe in South Africa when it submitted its telemedicine bid.
It is required of any company submitting a bid to make a declaration on the government procurement forms of any investigation, and/or non-engagements in corrupt or fraudulent practices. It was awarded the telemedicine project in 2024 − four years after the OUTA investigations were instituted.
POTRAZ told ITWeb Africa it was not aware of allegations facing Africawide in South Africa at the time of awarding the tender.
In response to the Zimbabwe project, Chiimba said: “The fundamental issue lies in the recognition and insertion of an unvetted third-party, BIS-Z, into a tender contract post-award.
“POTRAZ’s actions have effectively undermined the integrity of the original contract by recognising an entity that was not evaluated, shortlisted, or contracted.
“Documentation from the award letter through to the signed contract clearly identifies Africawide Zimbabwe (AFWZ) as the principal contractor, with BIS-Z as its technical partner.”
He went on to cite alleged unlawful pressure and contractual irregularities by POTRAZ, saying: “AFWZ was subsequently pressured to include BIS-Z in the contract structure under the threat of non-payment of US$651 000, a sum legally due under the contract.
“POTRAZ has taken steps that effectively elevate BIS-Z to the status of a contractor or technical partner, despite their non-participation in the bid. These actions, in our view, constitute a serious breach of procurement regulations and may amount to tender irregularities.”
Responding to the allegations, Donald Mangena, managing director of BIS, said: “The dispute was amicably resolved after the intervention of counsel from all concerned parties.
"This was also followed by a meeting involving the ministers of ICT and health. As far as we are concerned, the dispute is water under the bridge and we are determined, as we have always been, to ensure the successful completion of this very important life-changing project. This is a non-issue that was resolved at the aforestated meeting.”
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