In South Africa, a tenderpreneur is a person in government or the private sector who obtains private or government tenders and contracts to facilitate outsourced services. The word tenderpreneur is a portmanteau of "tendering" and "entrepreneur". Some commentators believe that this practice might give rise to a kleptocracy as a deviant mutation of a democracy if left unchecked. In this regard a kleptocracy is defined as the condition arising when a political elite manipulates the three arms of government (legislative, executive and judicial) with the intention of capturing resources that will enrich that elite,^[1] a general phenomenon known as elite capture.

Tenderpreneurship is often accomplished by overpricing and/or shoddy workmanship and/or excessive 'under the table' advances termed "commissions".^[2][3]

The Star, a South African newspaper, describes a tenderpreneur as "someone politically well-connected who has got rich through the government tendering system".^[4] In January 2010, South African Communist Party leader Blade Nzimande called for transparency in the awarding of tenders, saying "let's be bold, let's go and promote small entrepreneurs and defeat tenderpreneurs, those who steal."^[5] The case involving the Gupta family and their close ties to the administration of president Jacob Zuma can be classified as tenderpreneurism.^[6]

• Corruption in South Africa

v t e Political history of South Africa
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Histories of political parties	African National Congress Democratic Alliance Pan Africanist Congress of Azania
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v t e Politics of South Africa
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Political culture	African Renaissance Alternative media Azania Corruption (Don't) touch me on my studio Freedom Charter Proudly South African Rainbow nation Renaming Tenderpreneurs Toyi-toyi Ubuntu UnFreedom Day White monopoly capital Ungovernability Xenophobia Anti-Chinese sentiment Anti-Indian sentiment Slogans "Amandla Ngawethu!" "No Land! No House! No Vote!" "Dubul' ibhunu" (Shoot the Boer) "One Settler, One Bullet" "Each One, Teach One" Books and periodicals African Communist Amandla ANC Today Biko I Write What I Like Long Walk to Freedom Molotov Cocktail No Land! No House! No Vote!
Other	Corrective rape Crime Cape Independence Elections e-tolling Farm attacks Gupta family HIV/AIDS Labour brokering Land occupations Legacies of apartheid Lindela Phala Phala robbery Political assassinations Political repression Protests Sexual violence Shack fires Terrorism Third Force
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Redefining the tenderpreneur