Optimising governance to improve basic service delivery in the South African local government: A conceptual paper

Abstract

Background: Governance plays a crucial role in the provision of basic service delivery in any local government context.
Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework on the influence of governance on basic service delivery in the South African local government context.
Method: This study used a systematic literature review (SLR) approach. It is entirely based on secondary sources of information, such as conceptual papers, books, journal articles, the internet and articles published between 2004 and 2025. Key constructs of ‘revenue collection in municipalities’ and ‘local government revenue’ were used in the searches of academic databases which included SCOPUS, IBSS, JSTOR and Google Scholar.
Results: It was found that corruption and misuse of resources, public mistrust, decrease in revenue collection, political interference, health and environmental risks, infrastructure decay, service delivery protests and social unrest are antecedents and costs of weak governance in the South African municipalities, resulting in adverse impact on service delivery. A further finding is that public confidence, legitimacy with stakeholders, good performance, professionalisation of local government, community involvement and participation as well as financial stability and sustainability are the outcomes of good governance.
Conclusion: The literature suggests that good governance is associated with improved service delivery outcomes.
Contribution: Using the institutional theory, the study contributes to the immersed understanding of the critical role played by governance to service delivery in local government within the Global South. The findings of the investigation have practical and theoretical implications for the academia, policy makers and public officials.