Tenderpreneur (or tenderpreneurship[1]) is a South African term used to describe a government official or politician who uses their powers and influence to secure government tenders and contracts. The word is a portmanteau of "tendering" and "entrepreneur." Some commentators believe that this practice might give rise to a cleptocracy as a deviant mutation of a democracy if left unchecked. In this regard a cleptocracy is defined at the condition arising when a political elite manipulate the three arms of government (legislature, executive and judiciary) with the intention of capturing resources that will enrich that elite,[2] a general phenomenon known as elite capture.
The Star, a South African newspaper describes a tenderpreneur as "someone politically well-connected who has got rich through the government tendering system".[3] 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."[4]