Public–private partnerships (PPPs) have emerged as a new form of supply in an effort to improve the standard and value for finances of infrastructure as well as government services. However, the implementation of the Skills Development Goals through PPPs is hampered by a number of issues, including political and regulatory risks, a lack of capacity and expertise and dearth of trust and partnership.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of PPPs in achieving local government sustainable development.
The setting of this article is in the local government municipalities.
Qualitative research methods are employed for this study, primarily through the application of desktop research as well as secondary data analysis. The research critically reviewed studies, literature and online information between 2010 and 2023. The study used Google Scholar, ISI, ProQuest and Scopus search engines to locate these studies using key words such as PPPs, sustainable development goals (SDGs) and local government.
The findings of the study show that PPPs have been identified as a potential tool for achieving local government sustainable development. However, a major obstacle to the successful implementation of PPPs is the lack of trust and cooperation between public and private players.
The study concludes that PPPs have the potential for SDGs but require trust and cooperation for successful implementation.
This article focused on providing an overview of how PPPs might assist local governments in meeting their goals for sustainable development.
Across the globe, governments grapple with the immense responsibility of providing infrastructure and services that directly impact the well-being of their citizens (Browder et al.
Despite existing research on PPPs in infrastructure and service delivery (Cui et al.
This research relies on a desktop research methodology, primarily involving reviewing existing literature and documents. We delved into a diverse range of sources, including journals, articles, policy documents, government reports, books and even newspapers. To ensure that the research captured relevant and diverse perspectives, a snowball sampling technique was employed within a non-probability sampling framework. This method involved starting with a set of initial documents and then using them to identify additional relevant sources cited within. This iterative process allowed the study to progressively expand the understanding of the topic and gather a more comprehensive dataset.
The gathered documents were then meticulously analysed and categorised. Themes and patterns were identified, and the overall meaning and significance of the findings were extracted. To ensure objectivity and mitigate bias, the author employed a structured approach to data evaluation.
Identifying relevant data or papers proved to be a challenge for our review study on PPPs in local government. We began by searching information from the Scopus database, using keywords like PPPs, SDGs and local government to narrow down the search. However, keyword-based searches have their limitations, and our initial results were primarily restricted to titles and abstracts. The paucity of relevant papers in Scopus led us to expand our search to other databases like ResearchGate, Open DOAR, ISI, ProQuest, JSTOR and Google Scholar, with no publication year restrictions. This broader approach yielded an initial pool of 1000 papers containing the chosen keywords, which we then narrowed down to 65 documents for further analysis.
The major aim of this study is to review the publications regarding the effectiveness of PPPs in achieving local government sustainable development. To ensure that the research remained focused on its core objectives, we established specific inclusion criteria. Documents were selected based on their relevance to PPPs in local government and their discussion of the effectiveness of these partnerships in achieving SDGs.
The data screening process involved meticulously reviewing each document against the established criteria and considering the types of documents that would be excluded. Our initial search for papers resulted in publications including journal articles, conference proceedings, books and book chapters. We carefully screened the data, keeping in mind the inclusion criteria for our study. Publications older than 10 years were not considered, and we primarily focused on titles and keywords to assess relevance. Out of the initial 65 documents, 40 met the inclusion criteria and were retained for further analysis. Notably, all research publications were sourced from reputable academic publishers, ensuring the quality and credibility of the information used. It is worth noting that all research publications hailed from esteemed academic publishers, such as Elsevier, Taylor and Francis, Wiley and Springer, further solidifying the quality and credibility of the information used in our study. In short, the papers chosen for this study emanated from reliable and trustworthy sources.
This article followed all ethical standards for research without direct contact with human or animal subjects.
Public–private partnerships are critical in promoting the local governments’ sustainable development. These alliances promote resource sharing, creativity and knowledge, which improves the effectiveness of SDG implementation. However, issues remain, such as ensuring equal benefit distribution, preserving accountability and resolving possible conflicts of interest. Balancing these benefits and constraints is critical for realising PPPs’ promise to promote SDG development at the local government level. This section will discuss the benefits and the challenges of PPPs in achieving local government sustainable development.
The execution of SDGs via public–private partnership conveys obstacles as well as possibilities for local administration. The benefits of PPPs in achieving local government SDGs is discussed further in the text.
Public–private partnerships are gaining traction in South Africa as a means to boost the effectiveness and efficiency of delivering goods, services and infrastructure. This approach holds particular promise for local municipalities in their pursuit of the SDGs. Several factors contribute to the appeal of PPPs. Firstly, they leverage the combined strengths of the public and private sectors. Public–private partnerships can pool resources and expertise, leading to effective SDGs achievement. Private businesses often possess the knowledge, tools and innovation that governments lack (Eweje et al.
Furthermore, PPPs can foster the development of environmentally friendly construction initiatives. Delmon (
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While specific understandings and implementations may differ, core characteristics like open governance, long-term contracts and risk-sharing define PPPs in the Western context (Amović, Maksimović & Bunčić
Public–private partnerships hold a crucial position in today’s world, encompassing several layers of meaning beyond mere collaboration. At its core, a PPP represents a framework for communication and exchange among diverse stakeholders originating from both public and private domains (Carbonara & Pellegrino
One of the strongest arguments for PPPs is their undeniable role in fostering innovation and creativity. This unique partnership model brings together diverse stakeholders with distinct perspectives and experiences, creating a fertile ground for fresh ideas and solutions (Satish et al.
Public–private partnerships have become increasingly popular as a strategy for overcoming various development obstacles, such as achieving SDGs. Public–private partnerships are essential in the context of local government because they make use of the knowledge, capital, as well as management of the private sector to promote sustainable growth as well as enhance service delivery. Public–private partnerships, however, confront a number of challenges that limit their ability to advance local government sustainable development. These challenges are discussed further in the text.
Public–private partnerships have emerged as a promising tool for South Africa to achieve the SDGs (Mongalo
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Similar weaknesses plague many local governments across South Africa, hindering their capacity to partner with the private sector, regulate projects and ensure proper monitoring and evaluation. While PPPs hold great potential for South Africa’s SDG aspirations, political risk and institutional weaknesses pose serious challenges. Addressing these issues through increased transparency, stable governance and capacity building within local governments is crucial for unlocking the full potential of PPPs and driving sustainable development.
In South Africa, PPPs encounter numerous challenges even though they have the ability to support SDGs. According to Fombad (
Based on the review of PPPs in local government sustainable development, here are some key implications for policymakers and clinicians.
Implement measures to reduce political risk and instability, such as enacting stable regulatory frameworks, fostering transparency and combating corruption. This will create a more predictable environment for private sector investment and collaboration.
Strengthen local government structures by addressing organisational weaknesses, investing in technical expertise and providing proper training on PPP management. This will equip local governments to effectively partner with the private sector and manage complex projects.
Implement initiatives to bridge the gap between public and private sectors. This could involve promoting open communication, building shared objectives and ensuring stakeholder engagement throughout the PPP process.
Explore innovative financing mechanisms to secure adequate funding for PPP projects. This could involve public–private co-investment models, blended finance schemes and public guarantees.
Provide training and skill development programs for public sector officials involved in PPPs. This will ensure they have the necessary knowledge and skills to negotiate, manage and monitor these partnerships effectively.
Lastly, future studies can analyse the effectiveness of PPPs in different contexts, considering factors such as the level of development, political stability and institutional capacity. This will provide valuable insights for policymakers seeking to adapt PPP models to their specific needs.
Public–private partnerships have the potential to transform local government. This research was descriptive in nature and focused on providing an overview of how PPPs might assist local governments in meeting their goals for sustainable development. The unique contribution of this study was that it identified benefits of PPPS in achieving SDGs in South African local government. Furthermore, the study found that PPPs lower the financial and development risks associated with achieving the SDGs in South African local government. For example, the public domain may lack the financial capacity to sustain massive infrastructure projects that are both costly and need long-term commitment; in such instances, the private domain can use its financial resources to shoulder some of the financing load. Furthermore, one of the reasons that PPPs are so effective in fostering innovation and creativity is that they bring together varied stakeholders with varying perspectives and experience. Furthermore, another unique contribution of the study was identifying the challenges of PPPs in achieving SDGs in South African local government. Among the challenges highlighted are political risk and instability, lack of trust and partnership and lack of capacity and expertise. The findings of the study show that PPPs have been identified as a potential tool for achieving local government sustainable development. However, a major obstacle to the successful implementation of PPPs is the lack of trust and cooperation between public and private players. One of the main reasons for a lack of trust is the history of corporate and government corruption in South Africa.
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
K.S.R., and U.K. both contributed to the conceptualisation; methodology; formal analysis; investigation; writing the original draft and project administration.
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, K.S.R., upon reasonable request.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and are the product of professional research. It does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated institution, funder, agency, or that of the publisher. The authors are responsible for this article’s results, findings, and content.