Improving the State Capacity in South Africa: Implications for Governance, Public Policy, and Ethics

This volume provides a critical examination of state capacity and the governance processes that shape public policy and service delivery in South Africa. Through a series of theoretically informed and empirically grounded chapters, it interrogates the performance of the state from the Mandela era to the Ramaphosa administration, drawing attention to both the persistent weaknesses and the attempts at reform. Contributors address a wide range of issues, including the politics of memory, the dynamics of coalition governments, the role of social policy in poverty alleviation, corporate governance, ethical leadership, environmental sustainability, and the challenges posed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Comparative perspectives from South Africa and other African contexts illuminate the complexities of building and sustaining a capable state in the twenty-first century. By situating debates on governance within broader discourses of development, accountability, and institutional resilience, this book advances new propositions for strengthening state capacity in the post-2024 period. It offers a sober assessment of the trials and errors of policy implementation, while also outlining feasible strategies for future reform. This scholarly work will be of interest to academics, practitioners, and postgraduate students in public affairs, political science, sociology, development management, and governance studies.