Corruption in South Africa: Results of an Expert Panel Survey

This research paper presents the results of a survey conducted by the Institute for Security Studies between August and October 2000, involving over 150 experts on the causes and controls of corruption in South Africa. The survey aimed to provide data to help policymakers prioritize interventions following a policy impasse after the April 1999 anti-corruption summit.

• Experts define corruption primarily as the abuse of power, position, public funds, resources, authority, and office for personal benefit, with bribery, kickbacks in tender procedures, nepotism, and fraud cited as common examples.
• Regarding the extent of corruption, 33% of experts reported being asked or knowing someone asked for a bribe in the past year. While 37% believe the current government is less corrupt than during apartheid, 64% of experts consider other issues, such as crime, security, and job creation, to be more serious problems than corruption.
• The primary cause of corruption in government is identified as weak checks and balances, whereas greed is seen as the main cause of corruption in society overall. Additionally, 40% of experts agree that bribes or favors for government officials facilitate getting things done.
• A majority of experts (83%) believe the government is committed to fighting corruption, and 60% believe it is handling the matter very or fairly well. However, 73% believe the government lacks sufficient resources to fight corruption, which is viewed as the main problem.
• The Special Investigating Unit was ranked as the most effective anti-corruption agency by 85% of experts, followed by the Auditor-General (74%), the Public Protector (62%), the Special Investigating Directorate on Corruption of the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions (47%), and the Public Service Commission (34%).
• Highly effective strategies identified by experts include greater transparency in government tenders, legal protection for whistleblowers, prosecution of high-profile individuals, barring corrupt officials from office, and vigorous media investigation. Conversely, increased salaries for government employees and codes of conduct were ranked as least effective.

APA

Camerer, L. (n.d.). Corruption in South Africa: Results of an Expert Panel Survey. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-65-corruption-in-south-africa-results-of-an-expert-panel-survey-lala-camerer

Chicago

Camerer, Lala. Corruption in South Africa: Results of an Expert Panel Survey. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-65-corruption-in-south-africa-results-of-an-expert-panel-survey-lala-camerer.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Camerer |first1=Lala |title=Corruption in South Africa: Results of an Expert Panel Survey |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-65-corruption-in-south-africa-results-of-an-expert-panel-survey-lala-camerer |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{camererndcorruption, author = {Camerer, Lala}, title = {{Corruption in South Africa: Results of an Expert Panel Survey}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-65-corruption-in-south-africa-results-of-an-expert-panel-survey-lala-camerer}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }