Ex-SAMRO insider fingered in R3.4m royalty scandal

Investigators note that rot runs deep

- By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane and Bongani Mdakane

Royalty claims by a former Southern African Music Rights Organisation employee have been flagged as 'irregular' by a forensic report.

A forensic report has revealed how a former Southern African Music Rights Organisation (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".