The first RPI African Policy Index 2025, released by Reputation Poll International (RPI), says Africa’s biggest problem is not just bad policies. It is a growing “Trust Gap” between what governments do and what citizens think they achieve.
The Index combines hard data on how well governments work with surveys of more than 25,000 Africans. It looks at both the mechanics of governance and the fragile bond of public confidence that makes those mechanics matter.
The continent is split into three groups. A small group of “Leaders” scores above 70, showing that world‑class governance is possible in Africa.
Mauritius leads with 78.9 points, followed by Seychelles (76.4) and Cabo Verde (74.8). These nations do well because strong economic management, high vaccination rates and transparent institutions are matched by high citizen trust.
Botswana (73.2), Namibia (71.8) and Rwanda (70.1) are also in the top tier. They show that steady work in education, resource management and digital reforms can shrink the trust deficit almost to zero.
Most of Africa, however, is far from this standard. More than 60 % of the 54 countries fall into the middle “Strugglers” tier (scores 50‑69.9). In these places policies often exist only on paper, or show only partial results, but they do not win public faith.
Nigeria (52.3), South Africa (55.7), Angola (48.9), Egypt (51.2) and Zimbabwe (46.1) have the widest Trust Gaps on the continent – sometimes more than 25 points between the objective scores and what people think.
In Nigeria, anti‑corruption laws look good on paper but public trust collapses because people see elite impunity. In South Africa, progressive land and social‑grant laws look good on paper, but protests over services and racial inequality create deep skepticism.
Angola and Egypt show similar patterns: oil wealth and big infrastructure projects do not make citizens feel the government works for them.
The hardest cases are the 18 “Systemic Challengers” that score below 50, from Sierra Leone (49.2) down to South Sudan (28.4).
Here, broken institutions, constant insecurity and a loss of legitimacy create Trust Gaps that average about 35 points. Even small reforms – peace deals, health outreach, budget changes – are drowned out by daily violence, displacement and exclusion.
Regionally, Central Africa performs worst with an average score of just 41.2. Southern Africa leads the top tier, while West, East and North Africa show mixed and often disappointing results.
The Index’s main message is clear: without a real effort to close the Trust Gap, no amount of policy ambition will bring stable, legitimate governance.
Mauritius and Botswana succeed not because they are rich, but because they actively involve citizens in monitoring and giving feedback. Most other countries do not.
The report says that until governments treat public perception as a measurable outcome – through transparent data, regular citizen audits and visible accountability – the cycle of disillusionment, protest and institutional decay will continue.
As Africa faces debt, climate shocks and youth unemployment, the RPI African Policy Index 2025 is both a warning and a roadmap: bridge the Trust Gap, or watch the continent’s governance crisis get deeper.(NAN)