Whistleblower Athol Williams has voiced strong opposition to the participation of consulting firms McKinsey and Bain & Company in G20-related activities. Williams, who fled South Africa after exposing corruption at Bain & Company, has called for a consistent and firm stance from South African authorities on corporate misconduct.
McKinsey has recently been appointed as a supporting partner to the B20, a group facilitating private sector involvement in the G20 discussions. Meanwhile, Bain & Company has been included in the Project Management Office of the Energy Council of South Africa. Both firms have faced allegations of involvement in state capture and other corruption scandals.
Bain & Company is currently barred from conducting business with the South African government for 10 years, a ban that commenced in 2022. In the UK, Bain faced a three-year prohibition from state contracts, but that ban was unexpectedly lifted in 2023.
Williams emphasized the need for accountability and urged authorities to maintain a consistent approach in dealing with firms implicated in corruption to uphold integrity in governance and business practices.