SA records lowest ever score on global Corruption Perception Index
In the 12 years since South Africa first appeared on the Corruption Perceptions Index, it’s never scored as low as it has in 2023.
South African flag. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA-2.5
CAPE TOWN - South Africa continues to slide down the world Corruption Perception Index, scoring its lowest score ever of 41.
Sliding down two points in the rankings, its score for 2023 is also below the global average.
Transparency International released its annual index on Tuesday morning, which measures perceptions of public sector corruption in 180 countries.
Corruption Watch, the South African chapter of Transparency International, said the index showed that government’s attempts to curb corruption were simply not working.
In the 12 years since South Africa first appeared on the Corruption Perceptions Index, it’s never scored as low as it has in 2023.
It is currently two points below its maiden score of 43, making it one of 23 countries that have reached their lowest scores this year.
The ranking, determined by the perceptions of experts and businesspeople and not actual corruption, puts South Africa in the category of flawed democracies.
Corruption Watch’s Melusi Ncala: "We do have a government that, on the one hand, establishes structures for the fight against corruption but at the same time, those structures are not independent and fully resourced."
South Africa’s ranking of 41 puts it on par with Burkina Faso, Kosovo and Vietnam on the global index.