Adele Oosthuizen
Abstract
Over the past three decades, South Africa has experienced increased corruption in the public sector, undermining democratic institutions, infrastructure development and service delivery. This study aimed to identify the successful anti-corruption strategies implemented in Singapore and compare them to the South African public sector’s policy, institutions, legal frameworks, leadership, and governance practices. The research was conducted in two phases. The first phase consisted of a systematic review of 33 peer-reviewed papers published up to 2024 to identify the strategies employed by Singapore to curb corruption. During the second phase, academic literature was used to identify the current policy, practices and governance trends in the South African public sector and compare them with Singapore’s governance, institutional effectiveness, law enforcement and socio-cultural influences. The analysis identified Singapore’s model as hinging on strong political will, an autonomous and well-resourced anti-corruption agency, comprehensive legal frameworks, enforcement mechanisms, meritocracy, and a zero-tolerance culture supported by advanced digital governance. The comparison reveals South Africa has inconsistent law enforcement, socio-cultural acceptance of patronage and nepotism, and limited public engagement. The study identifies political leadership and commitment, strict enforcement with harsh consequences, institutional autonomy, and adequate resource allocation as critical for effective corruption control. Insights from this study contribute to scholarly work on anti-corruption strategies across divergent socio-political environments. The review aims to inform effective, anti-corruption policies to enhance governance and accountability in the South African public sector by highlighting best practices and contextual challenges.