BP41: Is South Africa’s public service “user friendly”?

While South Africa’s government has invested substantial resources into the transformation, training and extension of the country’s public service over the past decade, the reported ease with which the country’s citizens access and interact with state officials has remained constant over the past four years. While most citizens say it is relatively trouble-free to obtain some public services, such as primary school education for their children or an identity document, many continue to report significant difficulties in other areas, most notably obtaining help from the police.