Accountability challenges in public-private partnerships from a South African perspective

Abstract

One of the potential benefits of public–private partnerships (PPPs) is its capacity to enhance account- ability. Although the South African government has made several efforts to address the need for fairness in service delivery and improve accountability in procurement, accountability remains a challenge in PPPs in South Africa and most other countries. If PPPs are to play their role in infrastructure development and service delivery, and thus serve public interests, the problem of accountability must be addressed. This paper attempts to identify some of the accountability challenges in PPPs, together with a literature review, to provide some future perspectives on PPPs in South Africa.