Keypoints:
- Africa’s governance gains accelerating
- Digital reforms reshape public services
- Strong institutions driving long-term progress
DIGITAL queues have replaced physical ones. Tasks that once meant hours spent at government counters can now be completed in minutes on a phone. These are not case studies from Singapore or Estonia — they are unfolding right now on African soil. In South Africa, citizens today access an estimated 134 public services through the National e-Government Portal, from business registration to renewing a driver’s licence.
South Africa’s progress mirrors a quieter, continent-wide shift. For years, Africa’s governance narrative has leaned heavily on fragility, instability and external dependency. Those issues remain real and deserve scrutiny. But they do not tell the full story. Across the region, governments have spent the past few years investing political will, resources and time into strengthening the machinery of governance.
This gradual change is captured in the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) 2025, the fifth edition of the benchmark study. While Africa still faces structural hurdles, the region has made modest but steady gains, with governance scores improving again in 2024–2025 after slipping during the pandemic. Half of the African countries assessed have strengthened leadership, administrative capability or institutional resilience since 2021. Two African nations now sit in the top half of the global index — a sign that deliberate investment is paying off.
These are not abstract metrics. They reflect the reality that change, even when incremental, is happening.
Beyond rankings: capability in action
A major reason for this momentum is a shift in how governments think about capability. It is no longer about drafting bold policies but about executing them: whether institutions have the systems, skills and tools to turn commitments into results. Transparency reforms, better service delivery frameworks and regulatory improvements matter. But so do stable leadership, the rule of law, accountability and the ability to learn and adapt. These building blocks rarely make headlines, yet they shape how citizens experience the state each day.
South Africa offers practical examples. In September, the government outlined plans for a unified digital ID system, part of a wider Digital Transformation Roadmap designed to reduce fraud and streamline service delivery. As G20 president, South Africa has also pushed digital public infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence to the top of the global agenda, leading to the creation of the G20 Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and the G20 Digital Economy Working Group.
Elsewhere on the continent, capability-driven reforms are similarly reshaping governance. Mauritius, ranked 51st on the CGGI 2025, continues to attract investment through predictable regulation. Rwanda’s Irembo platform demonstrates the power of digital governance anchored in long-term planning. Botswana’s reputation for prudent financial management remains rooted in systems that prioritise good stewardship and institutional discipline.
These examples drive home a simple reality: progress flows from consistent choices to strengthen capability.
What must come next
For this transformation to endure, three priorities matter.
First, Africa-led governance networks must deepen. Peer learning accelerates reform and helps safeguard gains from political change.
Second, governments must invest in people. Digital tools and new systems mean little without trained, capable staff and leaders.
Third, external partners need to rethink their support. Instead of short-term aid cycles, long-term investments in data, institutions and state capability will produce more durable results.
As South Africa concluded its G20 summit in Johannesburg on Sunday, the moment offered a chance to tell a different African story — one shaped not by fragility but by ambition and capability. As President Cyril Ramaphosa put it, ‘This highlights the growing importance of the continent in global economic, political and environmental discussions.’
Africa’s quiet governance transformation is already underway. The task now is to stay the course — to keep building, keep learning and keep choosing capability over complacency.
Dinesh Naidu is the Director of Knowledge at the Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG), an international non-profit organisation that works with governments worldwide to build the capabilities for a strong and efficient public sector
