46,000 corruption complaints in South Africa in thirteen years

Thirteen years since inception, South African non-profit organisation Corruption Watch (CW) has received over 46,000 corruption complaints.

This was revealed in its 13th annual corruption report titled Accountable Together, published on 27 March 2025.

In 2024, CW received 546 corruption complaints, a sharp decline from the 2,110 recorded the previous year.

CW explained that the drop was due to a temporary refocus of resources during a transitional period, which led to a pause in actively soliciting new complaints at the time – not a drop in corruption.

This is seen in Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) showing that South Africa maintained its lowest score on the CPI since 2012, remaining at 41, the same as last year.

Looking at a breakdown of the cases CW recorded in 2024, the largest number of complaints received were maladministration (34%), fraud (21%), employment irregularities (16%), bribery or extortion (15%), and procurement irregularities (13%).

With regards to sub-sectors, corruption issues in the policing sector accounted for the largest share of complaints received, at 13%.

The business sector followed closely with 12% of the reports, while basic education contributed 11%, and state-owned entities made up 7% of the complaints.

“These figures tell a story of government’s inadequacy in confronting challenges in policing, safety and security; access to education; and a range of rights and services intended to improve people’s lives,” said CW.

“They also highlight the contribution of business to South Africa’s levels of corruption and the lack of appetite to address its impact,” added the group.

Corruption at the local government level has once again emerged as a significant trend.

The metropolitan municipalities of Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town, eThekwini, and Ekurhuleni reported the highest number of corruption incidents, collectively accounting for 51% of all reported cases.

Continuing its infamous run, the country’s economic hub of Gauteng is once again responsible for the highest number of reports across provinces, with 45% of complaints.

This is followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 11%, Western Cape with 9%, and Eastern Cape with 8%.

CW said that as the country navigates a major political shift represented by the government of national unity (GNU), “it now falls to the entire country to seize this opportunity to work together so that all can thrive.”

“It is on us to do our best to counter the decline in our moral standards.”

“It has also never been more important for every single one of us to demand accountability not only from the GNU… but also from each other for our own stances in combating corruption, and for our efforts to counter the moral, economic, and physical decline evident across the country,” added CW.

CW urges its supporters, partners, donors, and funders to embrace accountability together, with the goal of restoring ailing South Africa’s global standing, says CW Chairperson Prof Themba Maseko.

Top 5 corruption subtypes reported to CW per province (2024)