By Ebi Kesiena
Mauritius has once again emerged as Africa’s best-governed nation, securing the top position in the 2025 Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI).
This marks the fifth consecutive year the island nation has led the continent in governance performance. Rwanda and Botswana followed closely, ranking second and third, respectively.
The announcement was made by Dinesh Naidu, Director (Knowledge) at the Chandler Institute of Governance, during the regional launch of the Index in Pretoria, South Africa. The CGGI, now in its fifth edition, is regarded as one of the world’s most comprehensive assessments of governance capability, evaluating 120 countries across seven pillars, including leadership, institutions, financial stewardship, and service delivery.
According to Naidu, Africa’s collective governance performance remains the lowest globally, though progress in select countries continues to inspire optimism.
“Even in a challenging global environment, high-performance African countries are making governance advances that can inspire peers across the continent,” he noted.
In the 2025 rankings, Mauritius (51), Rwanda (59), Botswana (61), Morocco (75), and South Africa (77) emerged as Africa’s top five performers. Rwanda was also singled out as the world’s best-performing low-income country, demonstrating that effective governance is not solely dependent on national wealth.
Botswana earned praise for recent judicial digitalisation reforms, while Morocco was recognised for strides in data transparency and digital infrastructure. South Africa, despite fiscal pressures, was acknowledged for maintaining strong institutional capacity.
Tanzania also recorded remarkable progress, climbing from 82nd to 78th globally since the Index’s inception in 2021. Naidu attributed this to the country’s Digital Governance Project and legislative reforms such as the Data Protection Act, which are laying a foundation for technology-driven governance.
Despite these gains, the report highlighted fiscal management as a persistent challenge across the continent. Mounting debt burdens, it noted, continue to hamper long-term development. Still, Naidu pointed to Africa’s young population as a unique advantage. “If governments can deliver jobs, education, and inclusive growth, Africa’s youthful demographics could transform the continent’s future,” he said.
The 2025 CGGI underscores the incremental yet significant progress being made in African governance. As Naidu emphasized, “Good government is built over decades, but every step forward matters. What is encouraging is the progress in areas such as strong institutions and digital governance. These reforms show that even in a tough global environment, progress is possible.”
However, designed as both a benchmarking tool and a guide for reform, the CGGI provides governments with a framework to evaluate their governance systems, strengthen institutions, and improve service delivery to citizens.
