A forensic report has revealed how a former Southern African Music Rights Organization (Samro) employee became central to questionable royalty claims worth R3.4-million.
The investigation by Fundudzi Forensic Services, completed in July 2023, identified Clint Louw, who worked at Samro from 2007 to 2019, as a key player in the irregular claims.
Louw managed top publishers during his tenure, including Sheer, Sony and Universal, before resigning to consult in the private sector.
At the heart of the saga are so-called “undocumented works” – songs that have earned royalties but have not been properly registered with Samro because rights-holder details are missing or incomplete.
To clear backlogs and improve transparency, Samro launched an online portal in 2020, allowing both publishers and composers to claim these works. But by 2022, the platform had been suspended after a spike in dubious claims.
According to the report, while still employed at Samro, Louw approached Sheer’s then-managing director David Alexander by email on October 16, 2018, offering his services for “revenue building, assisting with outstanding royalty queries… and undoc and NS tracing”.
Fundudzi wrote: “The email above was therefore sent when Louw was still employed at Samro and managing Sheer Publishing as one of the publishers on behalf of Samro. Based on available information, Alexander was also aware that at the time that Louw sent the email above, he was still working for Samro”.
Alexander later went on to serve as a Samro board member while continuing to head Sheer, making his position particularly sensitive given the allegations of irregular claims.
After leaving Samro, Louw began working through SA Royalty Consultants, a private company linked to Alexander and Mandrew Mnguni.
At the time, Mnguni was Sheer Publishing’s stakeholder relations manager and also served as a Samro board member.
His dual roles placed him at the intersection of publisher interests and Samro governance, a conflict that investigators said could compromise oversight.
Although Sheer’s general manager, Rehana Pillay, insisted that Louw “was never employed by the publishing house”, Fundudzi found email evidence showing him in direct contact with Sheer bosses, including Alexander and Mnguni.
“We further noted that Louw used the said email address in his communication with the Sheer Publishing staff, including Pillay, Alexander and Mnguni,” the report stated.
“The instructions and communications are a clear contradiction of Pillay’s version that Sheer Publishing had never issued any instructions to Louw as he did not act on behalf of the publishing house”.
Louw also requested financial advances from Sheer, writing in one email to Alexander on March 1, 2019: “Dear David, Is it ok if I can have a further R15 000 advance on commission?” Investigators said this was proof he was being paid directly by Sheer, despite denials from its executives.
As a consultant, Louw submitted claims for undocumented works on behalf of the Sebeelo brothers – Allan and Glenn and their publishing companies Hash One, Sotho Mafia and Glenn Publishing. Many of these claims, including the R166 000 Hash One claim and a larger R3-million submission, lacked proof of ownership.
Glenn later told investigators he had only given Sheer about 150 songs to administer and was shocked to discover works outside this list had been claimed in his name.
Fundudzi concluded: “This assertion by Louw is clearly misplaced and problematic, as it would create a situation where members would submit claims knowing that such claims are not theirs, in the hope that some or all of the said claims may fall through the cracks undetected by Samro officials and eventually irregularly paid.”
Although Samro intercepted the R3-million claim before payment, the report warned that the attempt itself could still constitute fraud. A criminal case – CAS 584/6/2023 – has since been registered with law enforcement.
Sheer Publishing, one of South Africa’s largest independent music publishers, administers rights for both local and international artists.
The Sebeelo brothers are musicians who entrusted Sheer with their catalogues, but the probe found that Sheer claimed for works that did not belong to them, raising questions of misrepresentation.
SA Royalty Consultants, the vehicle through which Louw operated, was created by Sheer-linked figures and used to channel his insider knowledge of Samro systems into processing undocumented royalty claims.
Investigators said this arrangement blurred the line between Samro’s oversight role and Sheer’s commercial interests, creating fertile ground for abuse. Fundudzi urged Samro to tighten controls.
“Failure to take decisive action against any acts committed by anyone against Samro may result in the members losing their faith and trust in the organization, and further increase the risk of reputational damages for the organization,” the report warned.
