Africa-Press – South-Africa. The 2025 Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) revealed that South Africa continues to decline in the global rankings.
Now in its fifth year, the CGGI provides one of the most comprehensive global measures of government capabilities and effectiveness.
The index adopts a non-ideological and non-partisan approach to governance, focusing on state capabilities and performance.
It has 34 indicators organised into leadership and foresight, laws and policies, strong institutions, and financial stewardship.
Other pillars of the index include an attractive marketplace, global influence and reputation, and helping people rise.
The 2025 CGGI revealed that the average score for countries in Africa was the lowest amongst all regions.
“As a region, Africa still has significant work to do in improving the quality of governance,” said Dinesh Naidu, a director at the Chandler Institute of Governance.
Mauritius was the leading government in Africa, followed by Rwanda and Botswana. South Africa finished fifth behind Morocco.
While Mauritius remains the continent’s highest-ranked country for a fifth consecutive year, Rwanda stood out as the world’s best-performing low-income country.
Botswana has improved the quality of its judiciary through digitalisation reforms in recent years, while Morocco has made notable strides in data transparency and digital infrastructure.
The Chandler Good Government Index indicates that Africa’s average governance score remains the lowest among all regions worldwide.
Only two countries, Tanzania and Rwanda, improved their governance rankings between 2021 and 2025.
Financial stewardship remains a significant area of concern, as fiscal envelopes tighten and government debt burdens weigh heavily across the region.
At the same time, the continent’s strong demographic momentum offers promising opportunities.
With 70% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population under 30, governments that can deliver on jobs, education, and inclusive growth stand to unlock a powerful dividend.
South Africa’s performance
South Africa’s Chandler Good Government Index declined significantly between 2021, when the index was first launched, and 2025.
In 2021, it ranked 70th and improved to 68th in 2022. However, since then, it has declined to 77th and is on a downward trend.
The country’s worst performance is in helping its citizens to rise, with poor healthcare, personal safety, and high unemployment.
The county is also struggling with discrimination against some groups and poor income distribution, also known as inequality.
The chart below provides an overview of South Africa’s performance in the 2025 Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI).
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