Airports Company South Africa — custodian of the country's gateway airports including OR Tambo, Cape Town International, and King Shaka — has been the subject of ongoing SIU investigation for procurement irregularities exceeding R544 million. This represents a new wave of problems, separate from the earlier Bosasa-era corruption documented by the Zondo Commission.
The most significant item is a R3-6 billion smart airport security tender that was cancelled after the SIU identified irregularities in the procurement process. The tender — intended to modernise security screening at all ACSA airports — was found to have been structured in ways that favoured specific bidders. Had it proceeded, it would have been one of the largest single procurement irregularities in recent years.
Additionally, the SIU investigated a R40 million overpayment on Electronic Travel Document (ETD) systems. ACSA paid R40 million more than the contract specified for a system already in use. The overpayment was identified during routine SIU procurement reviews. ACSA's management disputed some findings, but the SIU's recommendations stand. The entity that controls South Africa's airports — and with them, international perceptions of the country — cannot manage its own procurement without generating hundreds of millions in irregular expenditure.