Top South African Tech Executives

Fresh allegations have surfaced against former Dimension Data executives following a recent Johannesburg High Court ruling. Gerry Comninos and Graham Roy, owners of RandView Datacentre, claim these executives used corporate bullying and legal tactics to harm their business.

The controversy stems from the sale of The Campus, valued at R1.6 billion, to a black women-led consortium for R1.3 billion. Promoted as a Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) deal by parent company NTT Data, the court found the transaction to be an "illegal scheme." Judge Denise Fisher ruled on 25 November 2024, stating the executives orchestrated the deal for personal financial gain while disregarding their duties as directors. Fisher called their actions "brazen and dishonest" and emphasized the harm to BEE initiatives.

The ruling voided the sale and mandated restitution of The Campus to Dimension Data Facilities. Fisher also imposed punitive cost orders, stating the executives had undermined values of honesty and integrity essential for commercial relationships.

The implicated executives, including Jeremy Ord and Jason Goodall, announced plans to appeal the judgment, claiming it contained "unjustified and unfair findings."

RandView Datacentre Dispute

Comninos and Roy detailed their ordeal with Dimension Data over a lease renewal for their Randburg-based data centre. Initially valued at R311 million, the property faced a drastic undervaluation of R34 million during renegotiations. Dimension Data executives offered R231,000 in monthly rent—far below the R4 million fair market rate.

The conflict escalated into a legal battle, with Comninos and Roy accusing the executives of exhausting them with legal tactics. A leadership change at Dimension Data, now operating as NTT Data, brought resolution. NTT Data honored the original lease terms, agreeing to a market-related rent.