Corruption in public procurement: Can e-procurement and artificial intelligence make a difference in Africa?

Corruption is a challenge that hinders countries' development. The huge spending on public procurement, particularly on capital projects, makes it highly prone to corruption. The conventional paper-based procurement process has been linked to inefficiency and corruption in procurement practices. Given the expanding role of technology in an increasingly interconnected world, many leading experts suggest that technology can be a powerful tool to reduce opportunities for corruption in public procurement. In the past three decades, the use of technology, including electronic procurement (e-procurement) and artificial intelligence (AI), in public procurement has globally gained popularity. However, currently, technology in public procurement is not widely used in the African continent. This paper's main hypothesis is that technology can have an impact on reducing corruption in public procurement in Africa, with a particular emphasis on the prospects and challenges for technology adoption in Ghana and South Africa. The paper analyzes the types of initiatives that helped technology implementation in other countries and the utility of adopting such mechanisms in the context of the subject countries under review. The study investigates the critical success factors for adopting technology in public procurement activities in Ghana and South Africa using qualitative data analysis and mixed theories. This paper aims to assist public procurement practitioners, government entities, and funding organizations in a better understanding of the technology role, including public e-procurement and AI, in their efforts to minimize the scourge of corruption in public procurement.