Public procurement fulfils an important role in the economy and public expenditure of a country and can be regarded as a critical indicator of the effectiveness of a government, because it is a central aspect of public service delivery. Notwithstanding various reforms made to date to public sector procurement in South Africa and the application of Supply Chain Management as a strategic policy strategic instrument, the South African public procurement system still faces several challenges and has been strongly criticised. This paper aims to understand the current public procurement environment in South Africa, its dilemmas and challenges, and to propose that public procurement be refocused towards a strategically placed business process, implemented by well-trained and competent procurement officials. The purpose is to provide a theoretical foundation as well as practical guidance regarding the role of public procurement in the South African public sector. The methodology involved an intensive literature study and document analysis to evaluate various official policy documents and official publications to determine the status of South African public procurement. The study found that the majority of challenges faced by public procurement in South Africa can probably be attributed to the implementation of the system, rather than to the system itself. In the shorter and longer term, the public procurement system in South Africa will have no choice but to emerge as a stronger, more resilient, streamlined and efficient provider of goods and services for the greater good of all.

Public sectors all over the world face challenges and, thus far, public sector reforms have not been very successful. The public sector, as a key component of any economy, needs to address its challenges adequately to prevent economic growth and development from being curtailed. This article hopes to spark debate about whether too much emphasis is being placed on symptoms of public sector challenges instead of addressing these challenges at their root. The article focuses on the South African public sector – a third world country public sector − and examines reports by the Auditor General of South Africa and the Public Service Commission of South Africa for recurring themes and findings. The results of the study clearly suggest that the South African public sector is not yet adequately addressing its challenges at their roots, resulting in the challenges recurring year after year.

Corruption is an obstacle to democracy and the rule of law. In a democratic system it is therefore essential that public offices and institutions retain their legitimacy by being accountable as stewards for the scare public funds. However, in a developing country such as South Africa, it may be difficult to develop and maintain accountable political leadership in a climate that is widely acknowledged to have become corrupt. This paper reflects on the ethics and the cost of unethical behaviour in general, and of corruption in local government procurement in South Africa in particular.

Ease of doing business with municipalities and within municipal areas refers to the simplicity, effortlessness, and extent to which private enterprises can establish and conduct their business. It is influenced by multiple factors such as the conduciveness of the statutory and regulatory framework and the effectiveness of municipal structures and processes, in order to reduce bureaucratic red tape for the simplification of administrative processes such as the registration of business property, the issuing of permits, and access to electricity. Municipalities thus play a significant role in attracting and retaining business investment by establishing a conducive climate for business growth and local economic development. The aim of this article was to analyze the findings of a survey that was conducted to pinpoint business investment pull and push factors in selected municipalities in South Africa. By means of semi-structured interviews, a survey was undertaken with seven target groups. The obtained data were then triangulated with a desktop analysis of sampled businesses (i.e., case studies) that had relocated, mainly due to municipal service delivery failures. The survey revealed the underlying factors that lead to ease of doing business weaknesses, uncovered winning strategies to attract business investment, and proposed measures to enhance municipal business retention praxis.