Open Secrets is an independent investigative non-profit based in Cape Town, founded in 2017 to expose private‑sector economic crime and build accountability through research, advocacy, and the law. Its investigators and lawyers track paper trails in archives, corporate filings and leaked records, then convert findings into complaints, regulatory submissions and strategic litigation against banks, consultants, arms manufacturers and other powerful actors. The organisation structures its agenda around four streams—war profiteers, state capture profiteers, welfare profiteers and climate‑crisis profiteers—and produces deeply reported dossiers and public campaigns in each. Notable work includes Digital Profiteers on exploitation within South Africa’s social grants system; Who Has the Power? mapping corporate interests in the energy sector; and The Climate Consultants (2025), which examines how global consultancies shape the just energy transition. Open Secrets co‑authored Fronts, Fakes and Façades with The Sentry, tracing suspect flows from Zimbabwe to London, and publishes the Unaccountable series with Daily Maverick profiling companies and individuals who have evaded justice. Its books include Apartheid Guns & Money (2017) and The Unaccountables (2022). To protect its independence, Open Secrets does not accept corporate or government funding. It reaches audiences through OS TV, OS Radio and community People’s Hearings, and pairs investigations with legal action to press regulators, prosecutors and multinationals for systemic change in South Africa and the wider region.

Source: Code for Africa

Last updated date: July 2026

Location:
Cape Town, South Africa
Year the organization started publishing:
2017
Languages:
English
Afrikaans
Type of coverage:
International
Countries of coverage:
Other
South Africa
Other countries of coverage:

Content

Editorial coverage:
A single topic (such as education, environment or criminal justice)
Type of content produced by theme:
Law and crime
Journalism genres:
Chronicles and non-fiction
Investigative journalism
Journalism coverage types and techniques:
Explanatory journalism
Collaborative journalism
Fact-checking
Tech platforms and other mediums used:
Newsletter
Messaging service
Social media platforms
Podcast
YouTube
WhatsApp
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Tiktok
LinkedIn

Audience and reach

Social media audience

Facebook number of followers:
6,900
Twitter number of followers:
24,703
Instagram number of followers:
4,535
YouTube number of followers:
2,092
Tiktok number of followers:
3,530

Management and team

Founders

Female:
0
Male:
1
Founders:
Hennie van Vuuren
Directors:
Hennie van Vuuren- Director Michael Marchant- Head of Investigations Mamello Mosiana- Head of Campaigns Ariella Scher- Head of Legal Jill Kronenberg- Operations Manager

Team

Full-time employees:
18
Part-time employees:
1
Freelancers or consultants:
3
Volunteers:
0

Business structure and revenue sources

Organization tax status:
Non-profit

Why is this profile included?

This media outlet is part of our directory because it meets SembraMedia’s inclusion criteria: it produces original content, serves the public interest, and works with independence and transparency. This profile was developed using information provided directly by the media outlet, through surveys or interviews. We aim to keep the information current, but SembraMedia does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness, and recommends verifying any key details with the media organization.

In SembraMedia we use own and third party cookies for analytical purposes that allow us to track, monitor and analyze your browsing and behavior to make improvements to the product based on the analysis made, as well as own technical cookies that allow the proper functioning of the website. You can accept all cookies by clicking the "Accept" button or configure or reject their use by clicking "Reject". More information in the Privacy and Cookies Policy.