South Africa has retained its position in the 2015 Ibrahim Index on Africa Governance. In the 2015 Index, South Africa has retained its rank of 4 of 54 countries assessed in the Index.

This follows South Africa’s improved performance in the 2015/16 World Economic Forum’s annual Global Competitiveness Index which saw South Africa rise seven places from 56 to 49 of 140 countries.

The Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) measures the quality of governance in 54 African countries on an annual basis by looking at four areas: Safety and Rule of Law, Participation and Human Rights, Sustainable Economic Opportunity and Human Development.  South Africa’s performance in each of these areas earns it the position of 7 (up from position 8 in 2014), 4, 2 and 6 respectively on the continent.  

Countries in the SADC region have also performed well in the 2015 Index.

Brand South Africa CEO Kingsley Makhubela (http://www.brandsouthafrica.com) said, “We welcome South Africa’s performance in the 2015 Ibrahim Index of African Governance particularly in areas where improvements have been noted.  The National Development Plan (NDP), together with various other instruments, will guide South Africa’s interventions to address other areas of concern including, amongst others, issues around personal safety.”  

“South Africa commends countries in SADC, in particular, on their performance in the Index.  Although the 2015 IIAG indicates improved performance by countries on some indicators, we cannot under-estimate the urgency for the continent as a whole to implement Agenda 2063.”

“All countries on the continent should have national programmes to drive their social and economic development. These programmes by African states will collectively contribute towards Africa’s plan for holistic socio-economic development.”

“In this regard, we call on all South Africans in their different sectors to play their part in implementing the NDP which will be South Africa’s contribution to Agenda 2063.  Continuous improvements in the various pillars identified in the NDP will translate into better performance by South Africa in various indices that assess our competitiveness and attractiveness as an investment destination,” concluded Mr Makhubela.