South Africa has long been internationally criticised for its high levels of corruption, but the latest Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International shows there is a steady improvement as the years go by. While the country is still ranked among the most corrupt in Africa, it is still less so than it was just last year.
The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks 180 countries and territories from the most to least corrupt. Their scores are determined by perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business.
A key finding of the report is that countries where big money can flow freely into electoral campaigns, where governments listen only to the voices of the deathly or well-connected individuals show the highest levels of corruption.
According to the international company dedicated to combating global corruption South Africa is the 41st most corrupt country in sub-Saharan Africa, improving its standing from last year with a score of 44 percent vs its 2018 score of 43.
The index lists countries that are the most corrupt giving those with the highest corruption the lowest number, meaning a score of one is higher than 10.
The country received an overall global ranking of 60 with a score of 44 out of 100. The highest ranking African countries include Somalia with a score of 9 followed by South Sudan with a score of 12, Equatorial Guinea at 16, Sudan at 16 and Congo at 18.
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