They say that their name means “dung beetles” in isiZulu, one of the indigenous languages of South Africa.

[3] They've also contributed to the Paradise Papers exposé[4] and many other reports relating to the South African political economy.

In 2012 the founder and managing partner of amaBhungane, Sam Sole, was named in a document of the private intelligence firm Stratfor as one of their sources in South Africa.

Sole never publicly commented on the leak but his editor Nic Dawes, who was also named as having met Stratfor analyst Mark Schroeder, denied that the newspaper Mail and Guardian had 'made a deal' with Stratfor and that Sole "met Mr Schroeder briefly at a public debate in Pietermaritzburg July 2008 and has had no further contact with him".

As of 2022 the non-executive board members of amaBhungane were Tawana Kupe, Sithembile Mbete, Sisonke Msimang, Angela Quintal and Nicholas Dawes.