The cited record supports the material proposition.
The US Justice Department said in December 2024 that McKinsey Africa agreed to pay bribes to then officials at Transnet and agreed to a criminal penalty of US$122,850,000 under a deferred prosecution agreement.
- Claim made by
- US Department of Justice, regulator statement
- Published
- 5 December 2024
- Evidence score
- 88 How it was scored
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026
Why this label
The department's release states that McKinsey Africa agreed to pay bribes to then officials at Transnet and obtained confidential information from Transnet and EskomS1. It states the penalty and the three-year term of the agreement, and names the charge as conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPAS1. The NPA release confirms that McKinsey accepted responsibility under South African law for a former partner's conductS2. McKinsey's own statement apologises for corrupt conduct by an employeeS3. A deferred prosecution agreement is not a conviction. We did not read the agreement text or the docket, so the case number is not shown here.
Current procedural position
Three-year deferred prosecution agreement announced on 5 December 2024 with a criminal information filed in the Southern District of New YorkS1. No record of early termination or dismissal was found as of October 2026.
Record supporting the assessment
agreed to pay bribes to then-officials at Transnet SOC Ltd. (Transnet)
Pursuant to the DPA, McKinsey Africa has agreed to pay a criminal penalty of $122,850,000.
McKinsey admits, accepts and acknowledges responsibility under South African law
Conflicting or limiting record
No record located that conflicts with this assessment.
Evidence score: 88 of 100
The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of McKinsey & Company Africa (Pty) Ltd. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.
| Component | Points | Max | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition? | 28 | 30 | A DOJ release and a South African government release are competent records of the resolutions. |
| DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts? | 19 | 20 | The DOJ release states the bribes and the penalty in plain terms. |
| CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point? | 13 | 15 | The NPA release and McKinsey's own statement agree with the DOJ account. |
| Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes? | 11 | 15 | The agreement contains accepted facts but is not a conviction and its term runs to about December 2027. |
| CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments? | 8 | 10 | Checked against McKinsey's later update on the NPA charges, but no DOJ docket entry after 2024 was read. |
| ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment? | 9 | 10 | The DOJ and SAnews releases are public online. |
| Total | 88 | 100 |
Timeline
Related cases
- United States v. McKinsey & Company Africa (Pty) LtdUS District Court for the Southern District of New York. Criminal. Not published.Stage: Three-year deferred prosecution agreement in effect. No record of dismissal found as of October 2026.
- Criminal information filed and deferred prosecution agreement announcedS1
- The State v. McKinsey and Company Africa (Pty) Ltd and othersPalm Ridge Magistrate's Court, South Africa. Criminal. Not published.Stage: Charges against the firm withdrawn in January 2025 according to McKinsey. Cases against individuals not covered.
Responses
- McKinsey & Company, 5 December 2024: McKinsey said it was deeply remorseful that an employee engaged in corrupt conduct and that it had apologised publicly in 2018.S3
Revision history
- Assessment first published with label Supported.
Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.
Sources
- S1Tier A McKinsey & Company Africa to Pay Over $122M in Connection with Bribery of South African Government OfficialsUS Department of Justice. Regulator press release. 5 December 2024.Supports the DPA, the charge, the penalty and the 2018 and 2021 repayments. It does not give a docket number or later developments.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
- S2Tier A NPA reaches resolution with McKinsey South AfricaSouth African Government News Agency (SAnews). Government press release. 6 December 2024.Supports the NPA resolution, the acceptance of responsibility and the restitution. It does not state that charges were withdrawn.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
- S3Tier B McKinsey South Africa has entered into a final resolution with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)McKinsey & Company. Company statement. 5 December 2024, with a later update.Company statement with an update saying the NPA withdrew its charges in January 2025. It is the company's own account.
Other claims about McKinsey & Company Africa (Pty) Ltd
- Supported73The State Capture Commission found in 2022 that Eskom made settlement payments to McKinsey and Trillian that were unlawful.Official report, 29 April 20224 records citedBribery
- Supported88McKinsey said it returned the fees from its Transnet and Eskom work with interest.Company statement, 5 December 20243 records citedBribery
- Outdated71News24 reported in September 2022 that the NPA charged McKinsey South Africa with fraud, theft and corruption over Transnet contracts.Press report, 30 September 20224 records citedCorporate status