Factors influencing the adoption of municipal public-private partnerships in water-infrastructure projects in South Africa

Abstract

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa considers access to water a basic right for all citizens, and it assigns the responsibility of water provision to municipalities. Nevertheless, water access is not yet available to all citizens, for several reasons. South Africa is the thirtieth-driest country worldwide and has severe water-infrastructure backlogs from insufficient funding and investment. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) may be utilized to bridge the funding gap; however, they are rarely used as a financing option, so this study assesses factors influencing their adoption for water-infrastructure projects. The findings show that a cumbersome regulatory environment, political influence, PPPs' complexity, and the lack of knowledge and skills influence adoption of them by municipalities.