Launch of the Second-Year Assessment of South Africa’s Government of National Unity 

On 12 October 2026, in partnership with ACT Ubumbano, we launched the second-year South Africa Citizens Watch Barometer report in Johannesburg, South Africa. Titled Coalition at the Midpoint: An Assessment of the Performance of the Government of National Unity, July 2024–July 2026, the report assesses progress made by South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) in implementing its commitments during its first two years in office. The launch brought together researchers, civil society representatives and other stakeholders to reflect on the findings and discuss what they mean for governance, accountability and service delivery in South Africa. 

The presentation highlighted that the GNU’s overall performance score increased from 9% in the first year to 34% in the second year. Of the 120 commitments tracked, 64 were in progress, four had been fully implemented and 52 had not commenced. Although the findings showed increased government activity, progress remained uneven across sectors. The economy recorded the highest sectoral score at 41%, followed by governance at 38%, corruption at 34%, climate change at 33% and social services at 27%.

The discussions focused on the strengths and limitations of coalition governance, the factors contributing to uneven implementation, and the need to translate policy and institutional reforms into improvements in people’s lives. Particular attention was given to outstanding commitments in areas such as job creation, housing, health and service delivery. The launch also highlighted the importance of citizen-led monitoring in strengthening transparency and accountability. Through the South Africa Citizens Watch Barometer, SIVIO Institute aims to make government commitments and implementation progress more accessible, enabling citizens and other stakeholders to engage with government performance using evidence.