McKinsey & Co is partnering with a South African business lobby group to organize an event designed to connect global policymakers, civil society organizations, and business leaders, as part of next year’s Group of 20 meetings.

This collaboration between the consulting firm and Business Unity South Africa comes on the heels of McKinsey’s recent agreement to pay more than $122 million to resolve criminal charges related to a corruption scandal. This wrongdoing involved former executives from the state-owned ports and rail operator, Transnet, during a time characterized by pervasive government corruption, commonly referred to as state capture.

The settlement encompassed both a U.S. investigation and charges brought against McKinsey by South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority.

This month, South Africa assumed the presidency of the G-20 and its associated private sector initiative, Business 20. The nation, recognized as the most industrialized on the continent, is focused on emphasizing the developmental objectives of the region and the broader Global South.

Business Unity South Africa will serve as the voice of the nation’s private sector within B20, working closely with McKinsey in preparation for the 2025 summit.

The business alliance finds it “appropriate” to collaborate with McKinsey following the restitution agreement and the firm’s pledge to engage with authorities in addressing the effects of state capture, as noted by Cas Coovadia, the sherpa for B20 South Africa and the outgoing head of Busa.

McKinsey is acting as a “development and knowledge partner,” offering assistance to the organization on a pro-bono basis, as stated by Kerry Naidoo, McKinsey Africa’s Director of Communications.

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