“We Did Not Vote to Pay to Drive”: Willingness to Pay and Implications for Public-Private Partnerships for Roads in Uganda and South Africa

This study examines the determinants of willingness to pay (WTP) for Public–Private Partnership (PPP) toll roads in Uganda and South Africa, drawing on qualitative evidence from road users and policy makers. The findings show that WTP is shaped by a combination of socio-economic, institutional, and service-related factors. In South Africa, WTP is influenced by welfare expectations, social norms, and perceptions of fairness, while in Uganda, it is primarily driven by direct economic benefits such as affordability, travel time savings, and road quality. Across both contexts, affordability and time utility emerge as universal drivers, alongside service quality, safety, and reliability. In relation to the New Public Management framework, the findings suggest that market-oriented, user-pay models are effective only when supported by strong accountability, transparency, and service performance, reinforcing the need to balance efficiency with social legitimacy in public service delivery. The study further establishes that governance credibility, transparency, and trust mediate user acceptance. The main contribution of this paper is to demonstrate that WTP in African PPPs reflects the interaction of economic utility, welfare traditions, and institutional legitimacy — underscoring the need for context-sensitive PPP design rather than uniform user-pay models. In practice, the findings highlight the importance of affordable, transparent pricing, regulatory oversight, and sustained investment in road quality, safety, and maintenance. Socially, the study emphasizes the need for equity, inclusivity, and the provision of alternative routes to enhance public acceptance.