For the third year in a row, Prof Geo Quinot of APLU assisted Corruption Watch to analyse reported data pertaining to deviations, contract extensions and debarment by national and provincial public entities in South Africa. The 2023 Procurement Watch Report on Procurement Risk Trends was released on 20 September 2023 during a webinar that discussed emerging trends. The Report covers the 2022/23 financial year and draws on statutory reports submitted to and subsequently published by South Africa’s National Treasury. The 2023 Report indicates significant increase in the number of deviations reported, but at the same time, a significant decrease in the value of deviations. This suggests that deviations are occurring more frequently, but for lower-value acquisitions. On expansions, the Report indicates that while the number of contract expansions during 2022/23 remained largely the same as in prior years, the value of extensions increased significantly from about R88 billion in 2020/21 to R157 billion in 2022/23.
For media coverage of the report and its release see the articles in the Daily Maverick, Business Day, Creamer Media, Engineering News and interviews on Business Day TV and SABC News.