Building sovereign AI capabilities to combat corruption in South Africa’s public sector

South Africa faces a systemic corruption crisis that significantly undermines democratic governance, economic stability, and public trust. In 2024, South Africa’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score remained unchanged from 2023, at 41 out of 100, marking the country’s lowest performance since 2012 (see Figure 1).1 Furthermore, persistent corruption scandals within the South African Police Service, including procurement irregularities, municipal tender fraud and systemic state capture, highlight the inadequacy of current oversight and anti-corruption mechanisms.