Corruption in the judiciary is a moderate risk. South Africa's courts are widely regarded as independent and have repeatedly ruled against the country's most powerful figures, including sitting and former presidents. The Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Appeal and High Courts have a strong record of resisting executive pressure, and civil-society litigants regularly and successfully use the courts to enforce accountability. Direct bribery for favourable judicial outcomes is not generally reported as routine in commercial matters.

The principal risk is not bribery but delay and capacity strain. High-profile accused exploit procedural appeals to postpone trials for years (the so-called “Stalingrad” strategy), congested court rolls slow complex commercial litigation, and the judiciary remains under-resourced relative to its caseload. Questions about the integrity of judicial appointments have also surfaced, notably around the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). Alternative dispute resolution is increasingly used to avoid the delays of formal litigation.

Sources: Zuma/Thales (Daily Maverick / court reporting, 2025); CFR, judicial independence; US State Dept ICS

Corruption in the South African Police Service (SAPS) is a very high risk. Beyond longstanding petty corruption (bribery at roadblocks and traffic stops is among the most commonly reported bribe-soliciting events), the police are now at the centre of allegations of organised criminal infiltration reaching the most senior levels of the state. South Africa also has one of the world's highest violent-crime rates, and the security costs of operating in the country are significant.

The defining development is the Madlanga Commission, a judicial commission of inquiry established by President Ramaphosa in July 2025 into criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal-justice system. Because the allegations are untested and the inquiry is active, the matters below should be treated strictly as allegations at the testimony stage, not findings.  Sources: Presidency, Madlanga establishment; Corruption Watch; Africa Report

Corruption and inefficient bureaucracy are very high risks in public-service delivery. Irregular payments, nepotism and patronage (“cadre deployment,” the placement of party loyalists in public posts) are widely reported, and service-delivery failures at the municipal level are the most visible everyday cost of corruption. While regulatory, accounting and legal systems are broadly transparent and consistent with international norms, the capacity of public institutions has been hollowed out by the state-capture era.

State-owned enterprises remain the highest-exposure interface for business. The Gupta family, closely tied to former President Zuma, exercised influence so extensive that the Zondo Commission found it had effectively captured key SOEs and undermined institutions including the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the National Prosecuting Authority. Recovery of looted assets has progressed (roughly R11 billion recovered by March 2025), but successful prosecutions of senior figures remain rare.

There is a moderate risk of corruption in land administration. Property registration is comparatively efficient by regional standards, and property rights are protected in practice from arbitrary expropriation, though they are subject to ongoing land-reform and restitution policy. The Expropriation Act, 2024, which provides for expropriation in the public interest and, in defined circumstances, for nil compensation, has heightened investor attention to the legal framework around property; companies should monitor implementation and the litigation that is expected to test it.

Corruption risk in this sector is concentrated in traditional-authority and municipal land allocation, where opaque processes and disputed claims create openings for bribery and patronage. High-value land and infrastructure deals linked to politically connected intermediaries have featured in several provincial scandals.

Sources: US State Dept ICS, property rights; Government of SA, Expropriation Act 2024

Corruption in tax administration presents a moderate risk. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is widely regarded as one of the better-functioning state institutions, and bribes are not commonly reported as a condition of paying tax. SARS operates a fraud and anti-corruption hotline and has rebuilt capacity after the state-capture era, during which it was a documented target.

Sources: SARS, FATF grey-list exit; Presidency, Nugent/SARS reforms

Corruption when importing and exporting poses a high risk. Irregular payments and bribery at ports and border posts do occur, and companies report dissatisfaction with the time-predictability of customs procedures. Cross-border smuggling, under-invoicing and illicit financial flows are significant, and customs touchpoints were among the channels exploited during the state-capture period.

Border-management reform is underway through the Border Management Authority, and SARS customs has tightened controls on cash and bearer instruments as part of the post-grey-list AML programme. Despite this, corruption risk at the physical border and in clearing-agent relationships remains elevated.

Sources: SARS, traveller/cash declaration reforms; US State Dept ICS

Public procurement is a very high risk and the single most important corruption vector for businesses dealing with the South African state. Favouritism in contract awards and the diversion of public funds are widely perceived, and procurement fraud is common. Procurement through large SOEs (“parastatals”) was the principal mechanism of state capture, channelling tens of billions of rand to politically connected intermediaries.

The framework has been substantially reformed. The Public Procurement Act, 2024 consolidates a previously fragmented system into a single regulatory regime intended to improve transparency and oversight. Preferential-procurement and Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policies pursue redress objectives but have also been criticised as vectors for elite enrichment and “fronting,” and can disadvantage foreign suppliers. Companies are strongly advised to conduct enhanced due diligence on counterparties, beneficial owners and intermediaries in any state-linked contract.

Mining and energy operations are highly vulnerable to corruption. The scale of the sector, the value of concessions and the volume of interactions with officials (over licensing, permits and customs) create substantial bribery exposure. Illegal mining (“zama zamas”) and associated money laundering are widespread, and the mining regulator has been criticised for politicisation and capacity gaps in the licensing process.

Sources: TI, CPI 2024 (Eskom theft estimate); Zondo Commission overview

South Africa has a well-developed anti-corruption legal framework; the enduring problem is enforcement against powerful actors rather than gaps in the law. The Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA), 2004 criminalises corruption in the public and private sectors, including attempted corruption, extortion, active and passive bribery, the bribery of foreign public officials, abuse of office and money laundering, and obliges public officials to report corrupt activity. Providing any “gratification” not legally due, including gifts and facilitation payments, is an offence.

The framework was strengthened after the Zondo Commission. The Judicial Matters Amendment Act (2023) added a new PRECCA offence (section 34A) for the failure of public or private organisations to prevent corruption , broadly comparable to the UK Bribery Act's corporate offence, which took effect in April 2024 and materially raises corporate compliance obligations. The NPA Amendment Act (2024) created a permanent Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) with police powers, operational from August 2024. The Public Procurement Act (2024) overhauls tender regulation. Whistleblower protections exist but are widely regarded as inadequate, and consolidated reform remains pending.

South Africa has ratified the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, and the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. The OECD Working Group on Bribery has repeatedly criticised South Africa's low level of foreign-bribery enforcement.

Sources: National Treasury, FATF exit; Presidency, legislative reforms; UNODC, UNCAC

South Africa has one of Africa's strongest environments for civil society and independent media, and these institutions are central to its anti-corruption resilience. Freedom of expression is constitutionally protected and broadly respected in practice. The country ranks 27th of 180 on RSF’s 2025 World Press Freedom Index , the highest in Africa alongside Namibia, and up from 38th in 2024, with RSF attributing the strength to robust civil society and institutions.

Investigative journalism and NGOs (including Corruption Watch, the TI national chapter, OUTA and amaBhungane) have driven much of the exposure of state capture. Risks flagged by monitors include concentration of media ownership, dependence on state and corporate advertising, political smear campaigns against journalists, and threats to those reporting on corruption. Freedom House notes that the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Act (March 2025) added a judicial-approval requirement for bulk interception but drew civil-society concern over vague definitions.

Sources: RSF, WPFI 2025 (Africa); Freedom House, Freedom on the Net 2025

This profile is compiled exclusively from institutional and primary sources (international indices and conventions, South African government and statutory bodies, multilateral organizations, and recognized civil-society monitors), supplemented by court and commission records for case specifics. Index scores, rankings and the status of legal proceedings were verified against the most recent available releases as at June 2026. Named matters that are active or unadjudicated are flagged as such; content naming sitting officials and ongoing proceedings (Police and Public Services sections) is flagged for GAN legal review prior to publication.

Consolidated source list

1. Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index 2025, South Africa.

2. Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index 2024, South Africa.

3. Transparency International: CPI 2025: Sub-Saharan Africa regional analysis.

4. Corruption Watch (TI South Africa): CPI 2025: SA's performance unchanged.

5. The Presidency, Republic of South Africa: Progress report on implementation of the State Capture Commission recommendations (July 2025).

6. Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture: Zondo Commission Report (overview).

7. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA): Joint NPA/DPCI statement on the Zondo Commission Report.

8. Corruption Watch: State capture update: progress on government response to Zondo recommendations.

9. The Presidency, Republic of South Africa: Statement on establishment of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

10. Corruption Watch: The Madlanga Commission's first week.

11. US Department of Justice / reporting: McKinsey Africa USD 123m FCPA settlement (Transnet/Eskom).

12. Financial Action Task Force (FATF): Jurisdictions under increased monitoring, October 2025 plenary.

13. National Treasury, Republic of South Africa: South Africa exits the FATF grey list (24 October 2025).

14. Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC): South Africa exits the grey list (media release).

15. South African Revenue Service (SARS): Media release: South Africa's exit from the FATF grey list.

16. Reporters Without Borders (RSF): World Press Freedom Index 2025: Africa.

17. Freedom House: South Africa: Freedom on the Net 2025.

18. US Department of State: Investment Climate Statement, South Africa.

19. Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI): Zondo Recommendations Tracker, 2025 update.

20. Government of South Africa: Public Procurement Act, 2024 (Act No. 28 of 2024).

21. Government of South Africa: Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA), 2004.

22. UNODC: United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).

23. OECD: South Africa: OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.

24. OECD: Country Risk Classifications of the Participants to the Arrangement on Officially Supported Export Credits (valid as of 30 January 2026).