According to the report, 83 percent of South Africans interviewed felt that corruption had increased, with Ghana and Nigeria also among the worst-affected nations.
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Citizens of Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Liberia and Ghana were also said to have witnessed the highest levels of corruption.
Across all 28 countries surveyed, the police, business executives, government officials and the courts were all perceived as corrupt, with 75 million people estimated to have paid a bribe in the past year.
The organization’s report also found that people in Botswana, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Lesotho experienced low levels of corruption.
This is according to the Global Corruption Barometer on Africa‚ launched on Tuesday by Transparency International in partnership with Afrobarometer.
The report‚ titled People and Corruption: Africa Survey 2015‚ states that 18 out of 28 governments are seen as fully failing to address corruption by a large majority.
Neighbouring Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire are among the best on the perception of corruption increase with only 28 per cent saying corruption has worsened in Burkina Faso and 32 per cent in Côte d’Ivoire.
Within the past year, 22 per cent of Africans who came into contact with a public service, paid a bribe, with the police and courts being the most likely offenders.
Transparency International says while a strong civil society is crucial to fighting corruption, many in civil society receive threats and whistleblowers are not protected enough, making the fight against corruption hard.
In both rural and urban areas more poor people said they paid bribes. “While corrupt individuals with political power enjoy a lavish life, millions of Africans are deprived of their basic needs like food, health, education, housing, access to clean water and sanitation”, he said. We call on governments and judges to stop corruption, eradicate impunity and implement Goal 16 of the Sustainable Development Goals to curb corruption.
If there is one shining light to the survey it’s that 56% of South Africans surveyed believe that ordinary people can make a difference in the fight against corruption. He said people need to be able to stand up against government misconduct without fear of retaliation.
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Madagascar ranked bottom, at nine percent, on the government’s commitment to fight corruption.
