The South African Local Government Association and The Global Trust Project have signed a three-year memorandum of understanding to pilot a new framework aimed at improving trust, governance and service delivery across South African municipalities.
The initiative will see the rollout of the Trust Equity Framework (TEf) in up to 18 municipalities on a voluntary basis, with the goal of strengthening institutional credibility, enhancing stakeholder relationships and creating more attractive conditions for investment.
The pilot comes amid mounting challenges in South Africa’s local government sector. Recent data from the Auditor-General of South Africa shows municipalities took an average of 123 days to collect revenue in the 2023/24 financial year, while writing off over R50 billion in debt and recording significant losses in water and electricity.
Under the agreement, SALGA and TGTP will collaborate on a nationally distributed programme that includes baseline assessments, leadership engagement, implementation support and follow-up evaluations. The initiative will also produce a public “playbook” aimed at guiding municipalities on building trust-driven governance systems.
At the centre of the framework is the Trust Equity Index, a diagnostic tool designed to measure trust and performance conditions within institutions, alongside practical strategies focused on leadership behaviour, management systems and operational consistency.
Officials say the programme is intended to shift trust from an abstract concept into a measurable and actionable component of governance.
Dominic Wilhelm said the pilot comes at a time when municipalities are facing significant fiscal and service delivery pressures, making it critical to embed trust within operational systems.
Meanwhile, Lerato Phasa said the initiative aligns with SALGA’s broader mandate to strengthen local government through institutional development and reform-oriented collaboration.
SALGA, which represents all 257 municipalities in South Africa, has identified building a “capable and reputable local government” as a key strategic priority under its current development plan.
The pilot is expected to generate practical insights for participating municipalities while contributing to broader reforms aimed at improving governance, accountability and service delivery across the local government sector.
