Original Research

Investigating strategies to improve municipal infrastructure grant in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality

Zolani Tafeni, Bhekithemba R. Mngomezulu

Received: 30 Sept. 2024; Accepted: 17 Feb. 2025; Published: 18 June 2025

Copyright: © 2025. The Author(s). Licensee: AOSIS.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Background: The Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) was introduced to promote infrastructure development at the local government level, particularly in rural areas, to address unemployment, poverty and inequality. The policy aimed to prioritise poverty eradication and socio-economic development; however, the National Treasury’s Report on Medium-Term Infrastructure Spending (2019/2021a) has highlighted that municipalities face challenges in spending their allocated MIG funds because of capacity constraints, particularly in project planning, despite pressing municipality needs.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate ways to improve the MIG Implementation Strategy in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used with the explanatory research design. Structured questionnaires were distributed to 50 respondents, and qualitative data were collected through two focus group discussions. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics, structural equation modelling, Chi-square tests and factor analyses while the qualitative research data were analysed using Thematic analysis.

Results: Eighty per cent of respondents found MIG implementation ineffective, especially in the initial phases, as it fails to assist the municipality in providing essential services to the community. Furthermore, 60% of the respondents indicated that poorly structured plans are a key barrier. Seventy per cent of respondents suggested a more robust strategy for effective implementation.

Conclusion: The study concludes that the existing MIG policy framework is adequate but requires monitoring to ensure the proper implementation of infrastructure projects.

Contribution: Therefore, this study recommends that the MIG guidelines and implementation toolkits should be standardised and used by various MIG agencies and municipalities.

Keywords: implementation; strategy; municipal infrastructure grants; service delivery; socio-economic development; poverty eradication.

Introduction

The primary objective of this research was to investigate the challenges associated with implementing the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) and to explore alternative MIG implementation strategies for municipal development. Designing and implementing a realistic strategy is a prerequisite for a functional and effective organisation (Madumo 2017). The same principles apply to municipalities in the post-apartheid era in South Africa. Since its inauguration, the MIG has swiftly become the pioneering policy on infrastructure development introduced by the Department of Provincial and Local Government (DPLG 2007). This initiative was a strategic response to the socio-economic challenges that the nation faced, mainly in rural areas, and it shifted the focus to the eradication of poverty. The MIG’s primary objective is to address the municipal infrastructure backlogs within impoverished communities and ensure the ongoing provision of critical services like water, sanitation, roads and street lighting (Kopung 2017). The MIG’s oversight and management, ensuring its implementation across all nine provinces and their municipalities, falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA).

In the 1998 White Paper on Local Government, Minister Valli Moosa wrote: ‘Local government is the sphere of government that is responsible for the services and infrastructure so essential to our people’s well-being’ (Republic of South Africa 1998a:04). More than two decades later, it is acknowledged that significant improvement has been made in infrastructure delivery and its positive contribution to the well-being of citizens. However, backlogs persist despite substantial increases in fiscal commitments (Mnguni 2020). Through the National Infrastructure Plan 2050, the South African Government acknowledges the essential purpose of infrastructure in fostering development, job creation, enhancing service and international competitiveness (Department of Public Works and Infrastructure 2021). The government also believes that the public sector, through its various institutions and instruments, has a pivotal duty to promote local development through financing infrastructural projects (Department of Public Works and Infrastructure 2021). The National Infrastructure Plan 2050 aims to strengthen and extend the mandate that was given to the Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission (PICC). The PICC is tasked with implementing 18 strategic integrated projects (SIPs), which have since been further endorsed by the government (PICC 2012:01). All these initiatives demonstrate the government’s determination and commitment to improving the South African people’s living standards.

In the context of the Eastern Cape Province, the then Honourable MEC for the Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, Mbulelo Sogoni, in his policy speech (2010), said, ‘Rural development was understood to be multi-dimensional encompassing local economic development and social development’. Embracing technology, sustainable practices and community-led initiatives, rural areas in the Eastern Cape can achieve holistic growth that addresses economic and social needs (Mpongwana & Cishe 2024). This integrated approach not only promotes resilience but also empowers communities, ensuring a brighter future for rural populations. This includes improved service delivery, mainly on social and economic infrastructure, and the active involvement of local communities in all aspects of the development process (Moyo, Mishi & Ncwadi 2022). Since then, there have been numerous variations to the grant system in the previous few years and insignificant reviews, leading to the proliferation or rationalisation of infrastructure grants. Several developmental initiatives have been implemented in the province to improve the situation over the years. However, despite these initiatives, people remain in dire conditions because of poor service delivery and sustained poverty (ECSECC Annual Infrastructure Report 2017). This situation suggests a need for more structured oversight and evaluation to ensure that the intended benefits of these grants effectively reach rural communities and support sustainable development. Accessing essential services is a fundamental right for everyone, not just a privilege for the selected few.

This calls for comparative infrastructure development and impact analysis on socio-economic development across the country in the post-apartheid era. The aim should be to establish the extent to which society’s welfare is being improved or enjoyed in the present political context. This approach is based on the National Development Plan (NDP), which raises concerns over policy instability. According to this document, the government often underestimates the disruptive effect of significant service delivery policy adjustments. This challenge has notably impacted the local government sector. Consequently, there has been a tendency to introduce additional regulations and legislation specific to local government to address the issues municipalities face (Siddle & Koeble 2017:04).

Quick observation leads to the conclusion that despite infrastructure development initiatives, Eastern Cape municipalities still struggle with spending all the MIG allocation each year. This has negatively impacted the developmental local government agenda, NDP and Provincial Development Plan priorities (Auditor-General South Africa 2018). This is the broader context of this study, whose utilitarian role is to improve the current situation in the Eastern Cape and possibly serve as a reference point for other provinces.

Developing a sustainable MIG implementation strategy for municipal development requires a comprehensive approach that considers the municipality’s unique challenges and goals. Moreover, it is crucial to tailor the strategy to the specific context and priorities of each municipality by working hand-in-hand with different stakeholders and community members who will provide valuable insights and ensure the success of the sustainable MIG implementation strategy (Majali 2019). It is against this backdrop that this study was deemed essential and thus worth undertaking to fill a critical gap in existing studies on MIGs by focusing specifically on ways to improve the MIG implementation strategy in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality. While previous studies have predominantly focused on the socio-economic impact assessment of the MIG, the impact of MIG on service delivery general implementation strategies, and the application of project management methodology for MIG projects there is a lack of studies on strategies on how to improve the MIG implementation strategy considering the socio-economic dynamics, governance structures and stakeholder engagement specific to this region (Majali 2019; Mokgethi & Van de Waldth 2020; Tafeni 2017).

Theoretical framework

The MIG concept has its foundations in the discipline and theories of Public Administration and Management (PAM). The main guiding principles of the practice of Public Administration are social, economic, effectiveness, efficiency and integration. In this study, the applicable theories for usage are the process theory and systematic theory. These are deemed applicable because they provide the framework for analysing the suitable framework for the successful implementation of the local government MIG programme in the Nelson Mandela metropolitan region. Process, systematic and public choice theories have their origins in classical and contemporary management theories (Smit et al. 2007:31). In the discipline of PAM, actual performance and impact management is an established area of study, and its application continues to multiply into other functional areas of an institution and therefore attract more refined measures and extension in focus.

The above theories are significant to this study because the public and private sectors in infrastructure development partnership structures share a common goal and objectives that would ultimately benefit the intended beneficiaries. Therefore, proper and effective management of MIG relates to performance management by the public sector and it must yield social and economic benefits.

This study sought to search for and investigate a sustainable MIG implementation strategy with the ultimate objective of proposing new knowledge of the phenomenon which can influence the sustainability aspect of the programme. Asmah-Andoh (2012) notes that management theories are separated into two approaches, namely classical and contemporary. This study is about the search for a sustainable MIG implementation framework using the case of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipalities in the Eastern Cape.

Brief overview of Municipal Infrastructure Grant

The pre-democracy segregator regime left a profound legacy of inequality in South Africa’s human settlement and local governance system, necessitating serious and deliberate transformative policies to rectify this anomaly. According to the DPLG (2008), transformation requires deep insights into the historical role of local government in perpetuating and creating local inequality and segregation, particularly to the detriment of black-dominated communities. Over the years, the South African governance system has evolved through three distinct stages: commercial public administration (1652), local public administration (1975–1999) and market-local public administration (2000 to present) (Mokgethi 2020:140).

The market-local public administration phase has shaped the current local governance system. Legally, the Municipal Systems Act (No. 32 of 2000) operationalises the concept of local market-based public administration. This Act provides platforms and opportunities for municipalities to collaborate with civil society, the private sector and the public to develop vibrant rural and urban economies responsive to the essential needs of local communities. Local communities are defined as decentralised representative institutions with general and specific powers devolved to them by a higher tier of government within a geographic area (Seliverstov et al. 2021:125). Hlongwane and Nzimakwe (2018) suggest that local government refers to the geographical organisation of villages, towns and cities for efficient management, administration and governance. Vinci and Russell (2022) define local government as a public institution with the authority to govern and manage all affairs within a municipality’s jurisdiction.

In South Africa and beyond, it is established that local governments cannot meet their statutory obligations without partnerships and support from the national government (Horn 2020).

This context has led to the concept of intergovernmental relations (IGR), which refers to the collaborative relationships and processes between different levels of government. In South Africa, the national government implemented the MIG to assist municipalities with grants for infrastructural development, demonstrating the practical application of IGR in the context of local governance and infrastructure development.

Infrastructure development is crucial as it forms the foundation for education, healthcare, sanitation, water distribution, power supply and other services (Makhathini 2020). Without adequate infrastructure, satisfactory service delivery remains a formidable challenge. Local governments rely on their interdependence with provincial and national governments to ensure the effective implementation of development initiatives (Nel-Sanders & Malomane 2022).

According to the Republic of South Africa’s Constitution of 1996, provincial and national governments are required to support financially and guide municipalities regarding their development and performance. Moreover, all three spheres of government must maintain a shared national policy stance, especially related to providing essential services to local communities and expanding rural and economic development.

In examining the legal framework governing municipal grant provision and implementation in South Africa, it is essential to consider the role and responsibilities of the national government from a constitutional perspective. Hofstetter, Bolding and Van Koppen (2020:853) assert that the national government has to consistently develop institutional policy frameworks for local and provincial governments across the country’s nine provinces. According to Section 155(6) and (7) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996), both national and provincial governments are obligated to monitor and guide municipal service delivery. Essentially, provincial and national governments are empowered to support local governments and address serious issues related to service provision or critical developmental matters (Fuo 2013).

Based on the discussion above, it is evident that there is a strong interrelatedness between local, provincial and national governments. This interrelatedness implies that for local communities to achieve development, all three spheres of government must cooperate towards this goal as prescribed by Section 41 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 1996. Ijeoma (2013:29) notes that the primary objective of South African local governments, supported by provincial and national governments, is to promote socio-economic development throughout the country. South Africa has 283 municipal councils classified into three categories: A, B and C, as outlined by the Local Government Municipal Structures Act (No. 117 of 1998). Although all municipalities are part of local government, they have diverse historical backgrounds and unique environments justifying their different classifications (Horn 2020:11). Recognising these unique historical backgrounds that have influenced current levels of economic development requires understanding each municipality’s needs to address their specific communities’ needs adequately.

Municipal Infrastructure Grant programme guidelines

The MIG is a consolidated grant mechanism introduced in March 2003 and managed by the Department of COGTA. The MIG fund is allocated based on a formula to all municipalities that meet three conditions: (1) compliance with the Division of Revenue Act, (2) adherence to cross-cutting conditions such as alignment with the IDP, infrastructure development with economic benefits for poverty alleviation and job creation, and essential service coverage and (3) fulfilment of sector-specific conditions. The purpose of the MIG is to provide funding for essential infrastructure such as roads, water, sanitation and electricity (DPLG 2004:09). As a guiding principle, all projects funded through the MIG must be included in municipalities’ IDPs and approved by the council.

The MIG was approved and operationalised on the 5th of March 2003 by the South African Cabinet as a framework for basic infrastructure development. In simple terms, the MIG can be described as a funding arrangement that is advanced to municipalities so that they can implement infrastructure development projects. It was established as a replacement for all the other capital grants for municipal infrastructure development projects. The MIG targets seven infrastructure projects for development: water services, community-centred public works, integrated national electrification programme to local government, the integrated national electrification programme implemented by Eskom, the LED fund, the urban transport fund and the consolidated municipal infrastructure programme (Majali 2019).

In the context of the MIG, the role of the national government is to formulate adequate and effective policies, monitor policy outcomes, institute macroplanning, provide support and regulate municipal infrastructure investments. The MIG is conditionally given to municipalities, as municipalities receiving the grant must meet certain conditions or requirements, which is why the MIG is sometimes called a conditional grant to municipalities and complements the equitable share grant for local government. Moreover, the MIG is allocated based on a prescribed formula (DPLG 2004:18).

The MIG is primarily concerned with planning and delivering essential municipal infrastructure services. To that end, the MIG has become an integral component of the municipality’s infrastructure development mechanism. Given that the MIG is formulated to be a conditional grant, beneficiary municipalities must adhere to a set of conditions. These conditions are provided by the Municipal Infrastructure Task Team (MITT), which is presided over by COGTA through the MIG unit (DPLG 2004:26). The MITT forms an integral part of the MIG implementation because it carries several responsibilities, which include reviewing municipalities’ infrastructure policies to foster consistency, efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of adequate and quality infrastructure. The MITT also monitors progress regarding the implementation of infrastructure projects and addresses challenges that may hinder the process of infrastructure service delivery. Furthermore, the MITT also crafts policies and makes decisions that relate to improving service delivery through infrastructure development. The MITT is supported by a technical team called the Municipal Infrastructure Technical Task Team (DPLG 2004:32).

In light of the discussion above, it can be inferred that the primary objective of the MIG is to subsidise the capital costs of essential services to poverty-stricken households. As stated by the DPLG (2004:16), those households experiencing poverty should be given the highest priority regarding their essential infrastructure needs. These poverty-stricken communities should be assisted by providing appropriate internal infrastructure services through efficient, equitable and transparent funding distribution to support a coordinated approach to localised development and maximise developmental outcomes. The MIG prioritises the essential needs of households experiencing poverty by supporting multi-year planning and budgeting systems to enhance municipalities’ capacity to execute and implement developmental projects. Furthermore, the MIG facilitates the coordinated pursuit of national policy priorities regarding basic municipal infrastructure programmes, thereby avoiding the duplication and inefficiency associated with sectorally fragmented grants (DPLG 2004:16).

There are several cases worldwide where national governments play a pivotal role in supporting municipalities in delivering essential services to communities within their respective jurisdiction. The support includes financial support and/or assistance where the National Government allocates funds to municipalities for infrastructure projects, public health, education and social services (Majali 2019). This funding can be vital for local governments, especially in economically challenged areas. National governments tend to use municipalities to channel resources to meet the essential services that citizens require because municipalities are generally considered an instrument for wealth redistribution in countries where there are economic inequalities (Nel-Sanders and Malomane 2022). As such, Singo (2012) recommends that national governments inject funds and resources into municipalities to ensure fair and equitable access to efficient, reliable and quality essential services. This view is supported by Van der Waldt (2014), who underscores the importance of government interventions to assist specific municipalities in enhancing their capacity to execute capital projects for essential infrastructure services.

To improve project management efficiency, the MIG provides for establishing project management units (PMUs) within beneficiary municipalities. It also includes provisions for the MIG Management Unit (MIGMU) to play a supportive and capacity-building role by assisting municipalities in establishing PMUs and developing effective project management competencies. Besides the PMU located within the municipality, the MIG also provides for the MIGMU, housed under COGTA, which has several responsibilities, including implementing policies related to infrastructure delivery. The MIGMU is also tasked with setting up the MIG national fund administration system, ensuring the establishment of project management and monitoring capacity within municipalities, monitoring the use of MIG funds, operating the national MIG information system, auditing local programmes to ensure compliance, evaluating local programmes and preparing reports for the MITT and provincial and national government departments (DPLG 2004:16).

Research methodology

This section provides a concise overview of the research methodology employed in this study. It outlines the fundamental aspects of the research methodology, including the research approach, data collection instruments, data analysis techniques and the sampling procedure.

Ioannidis et al. 2015 articulates that research methodology is an exploration or theoretical analysis of the methods applied in scientific inquiries. It entails a thorough description and critique of the chosen research methods, shedding light on their potential and limitations. This sets a philosophical foundation for the research (Creswell & Creswell 2018) and ensures the methodology aligns with the study’s overarching goals.

Babbie (2015) emphasises that every scientific social research project is underpinned by a research design. This design is fundamental in illustrating key components like data collection methods and data analysis strategies and how these elements are interconnected to guarantee that the research outcomes align with the research questions. The research design is essential for structuring research to ensure its findings are valid, reliable and relevant to the objectives.

Concerning the research design, this study adopted a descriptive design. The descriptive research design helps answer what, who, where, how and when questions associated with specific research (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). It outlines the characteristics and data about the unit of analysis. A descriptive research design involves measuring variables through questions and deriving meaningful relationships from those variables. Additionally, a descriptive research design is employed to gather information about the current status of a specific phenomenon, aiming to describe the existing conditions in a given situation (Creswell 2018). This design was appropriate for the study because it enabled the research to explain the reality regarding implementing MIG projects in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM).

This study used a mixed-methods approach, employing quantitative and qualitative research techniques. For data collection, structured questionnaires were distributed to 50 respondents. Additionally, two focus group discussions were conducted to gather qualitative data. The data collected were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version 29.0 and Smart PLS4 software. The quantitative data underwent various analyses, including descriptive statistics, structural equation modelling, Chi-square tests and factor analyses. The focus group discussions were analysed using thematic analysis. Thematic analysis is a qualitative research method for identifying, analysing and reporting themes within data. It is widely used in social sciences, psychology and other fields to interpret qualitative data, such as interviews, focus groups or open-ended survey responses.

Ethical considerations

Ethical clearance to conduct this study was obtained from the Durban University of Technology, Institutional Research Ethics Committee (No. IREC 011/23).

Results and discussion

The results in Table 1 were significant at a 0.1% level when it comes to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality sustainable MIG implementation strategy in place. Given the significant results, policymakers can use this evidence to justify continued investment and support for the MIG strategy. The results further show that there is a statistical significance of 0.1%. This means that the value of p < 0.001 suggests that there is a very high level of confidence (99.9%) that the MIG strategy is effectively aligned with and responsive to the municipality’s developmental agenda. This means that the proper MIG implementation strategy is likely to make a meaningful effort to address the municipality’s specific goals and needs for infrastructure development. In support of these findings, Matabane (2017) indicated that the MIG strategy contributes positively towards addressing municipal issues and advancing the municipality’s objectives for growth and development. Results also showed that there is a significant difference of p < 0.001 when it comes to South Africa boasts a well-defined guide for MIG implementation harmoniously incorporated into the municipality’s integrated development planning. These results highlight the importance of having a well-defined and integrated guide for MIG implementation, suggesting that this approach is likely to significantly enhance the effectiveness of infrastructure initiatives in South African municipalities. The results are in line with the findings of the study by Kopung (2017) which indicated that to enhance the effectiveness of infrastructure initiatives in South African municipalities, it is crucial to establish a well-defined and integrated guide for MIG implementation.

In summary, while the MIG is viewed as effective in some areas, the significant patterns emerging from the Chi-square test results highlight areas of concern that warrant attention. These include the need for better-aligned, more consistently applied and clearer implementation strategies to enhance the MIG’s efficacy in addressing the infrastructural and developmental needs at the municipal level in South Africa.

A Chi-square goodness-of-fit test was conducted to evaluate if there were significant differences in the scoring patterns for each statement across different options. The null hypothesis asserted that an equal number of respondents would select each response option for every statement (analysed individually). In contrast, the alternative hypothesis suggested significant variations in frequency levels across the options. The findings are detailed in the accompanying Table 1 where the highlighted p-values are below the established significance level (0.05), indicating that the distributions across the response categories (Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, Always) differed significantly. While some differences in scoring patterns may seem apparent, confirming these observations to substantiate the analysis statistically is essential.

The trend is that MIG implementation does not bridge the gap between the cost of infrastructure needed and the resources available. At the same time, South Africa does not have a clear guide or strategy for MIG implementation that integrates with the municipalities’ IDPs. The literature review indicates that South Africa does not have an integrated MIG implementation plan for municipalities, hence the challenges these municipalities face.

As shown in Table 2 there were more female than male respondents in the youngest age bracket (18–34), comprising 71.4% of this age group. This percentage is considerably higher than their overall representation in the gender category, which is 29.4%. Although fewer, male respondents in this age group represented 8.7% of the total male population, disproportionately lower than the female respondents in the same age group. In the 35–44 age bracket, the gender distribution was more balanced, with female respondents slightly surpassing male respondents, accounting for 54.5% of the age group. When considering the representation within their respective gender categories, 21.7% of male respondents and 35.3% of female respondents fell within this age bracket, indicating a greater distribution of female respondents than male respondents within this mid-range age group. This means that female respondents within this age group dominated compared to the male respondents of the same group. The results further indicate that the 45–54 age bracket shows a higher concentration of male respondents, who comprised 66.7% of this age segment and more than half (52.2%) of the total male population. In contrast, female respondents represented 33.3% of this age group and 35.3% of the total female population, indicating a dominant male presence in this particular age category. Interestingly, the 55–64 age category comprised only male participants, representing 100% of this age group, creating a significant skew within this age bracket because of the absence of female participants.

Overall, male participants accounted for 57.5% of the total study population across the age groups, while female participants accounted for 42.5%. This overall distribution reflects a gender imbalance within the sample. Based on these findings, most municipal officials in the study were male, which several factors may have influenced. Furthermore, the male dominance within municipal governance might be a challenge for the effective implementation of the MIG. The factors that influence the gender distribution of municipal officials may vary across municipalities. These findings clearly suggest that the gender imbalance among municipal officials reflects a complex interplay of societal, cultural and institutional factors. Addressing this imbalance requires a multifaceted approach, including promoting gender-sensitive recruitment processes, fostering inclusive workplace cultures, implementing supportive policies and encouraging the participation of women in leadership roles.

The table exhibits a demographic breakdown by age and gender, revealing variances in representation across the participants’ age brackets. The gender disparity was most pronounced in the youngest and oldest age groups, with the former exhibiting a female majority and the latter consisting exclusively of male participants. There was a more even gender distribution of the participants across the intermediate age brackets, albeit with a slight female predominance in the 35–44 age group and a marked male majority in the 45–54 age group. This demographic landscape suggests potential gender-based differences in participation or presence within the sampled population. The distribution by age is significantly different (p = 0.012) but not that different for gender (p = 0.343). The analysis revealed statistically significant differences in the distribution of participants by age (p = 0.012), indicating that age demographics are not homogenous within the sample. This suggests that age may play a crucial role in understanding the characteristics or behaviours of the population under study. In contrast, the distribution by gender did not show significant differences (p = 0.343). This suggests that gender demographics within the sample are relatively uniform and do not significantly contribute to the variations observed in the data. Overall, these findings highlight that while age is an important factor in the population being studied, gender does not present a statistically significant variable that impacts the outcomes measured.

Figure 1 indicates the study participants’ distribution by race. The African category had the highest representation, with 30 individuals, or 75.0% of the population. The coloured category included seven individuals, comprising 17.5% of the population. The white category was represented by two individuals, accounting for 5.0% of the population. The Indian category had the most minor representation, with only one individual, equating to 2.5% of the population (p < 0.001).

FIGURE 1: Ethnic group of the respondents.

Figure 2 shows the study participants’ distribution regarding their qualifications.

FIGURE 2: Qualification levels of the respondents.

All the respondents possessed post-school qualifications, indicating that many held high educational credentials. This high education level among the respondents suggests that their responses to the study questionnaire were likely well-informed, adding a layer of credibility and depth to the data obtained.

Of the study’s participants, 30% held a National Diploma, signifying a substantial technical or vocational education level. In contrast, certificates are markedly less common, comprising only 5% of the educational qualifications, which could indicate a lesser focus on short-course or specific training programmes within the sampled population. The preponderance of the respondents (47.5%) possessed an undergraduate degree, suggesting a strong orientation towards comprehensive higher education. Postgraduate degrees are held by 17.5%, indicating a significant commitment to advanced studies beyond the undergraduate level. This distribution pattern may infer the value placed on formal, prolonged education or could reflect the professional requirements or the educational aspirations within the context from which the sample was drawn. The study shows consistency with a previous study where the majority of the respondents held an undergraduate degree, followed by a National Diploma (Majali 2019). This indicates a diverse educational background amongst respondents which might have an impact on the MIG implementation strategy.

Conclusion

The study highlights the crucial role of the MIG in promoting local economic development (LED) within municipalities. Participants involved in MIG projects acknowledged that while the MIG framework is understood, its implementation is hindered by budget underallocation and political influences. The absence of a dedicated MIG implementation strategy at both municipal and national levels calls for a tailored framework to guide effective execution.

Participants emphasised that robust monitoring and evaluation are vital for the success and sustainability of MIG projects. Recommendations include adopting a strong project management model, enhancing community awareness and training, and building capacity within metropolitan governments to manage MIG effectively. The current MIG policy framework is deemed sufficient, but consistent application and standardised guidelines are necessary to improve project outcomes.

The following recommendations are based on the findings and conclusions of the study

• Adopting a robust project management model is essential for effectively implementing MIG projects across metropolitan governments and at all levels in South Africa. A robust project management model that fosters effective resource allocation and prioritisation of projects, ensuring that MIG funding is directed towards initiatives that align with national and local development priorities.
• Research comparing the implementation of MIG in various municipalities could identify best practices and common challenges, which could inform improvements across the board.
• There is a critical need for ongoing MIG awareness programmes, training and community education. These initiatives serve as fundamental tools for mainstreaming and ensuring the success of MIG projects within South Africa and potentially internationally.
• Metropolitan governments must develop and maintain adequate capacity to facilitate deal flow for MIG projects at the provincial and municipal levels. This means that the Metropolitan governments need to invest in developing their human resources, technical expertise and institutional frameworks. This may include training staff, hiring experts and creating departments focused on infrastructure development.
• There is a significant need to provide project management training to accounting officers and other relevant staff to enable the conceptualisation of viable MIG projects and increase their throughput.
• Empirical evidence indicates that the high costs associated with MIG projects often stem from government budgetary constraints or insufficient subsidies.
• The current MIG policy framework and guidelines in South Africa are considered adequate. Proper interpretation and application of these frameworks can catalyse further MIG projects and stimulate growth in the infrastructure sector.
• MIG guidelines and implementation toolkits should be standardised and uniformly utilised across various MIG agencies to ensure consistency and efficiency in project execution.
• Future studies might assess the effectiveness of training programmes for MIG project management, determining best practices for capacity building within municipalities.

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges and appreciates the assistance from the staff of Municipality.

This article is based on the author’s thesis entitled ‘Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure Grant Implementation Strategy for Municipal Development in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’ towards the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management Science Specialising Public Administration in the Department of Public Management and Economics, Durban University of Technology, South Africa on 6 March 2025, with supervisor Prof B.R. Mngomezulu.

The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.

Z.T. and B.R.M. both contributed equally to this research article. Both Z.T. and B.R.M. contributed to the final version of the article.

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Z.T., upon reasonable request.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and are the product of professional research. It does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated institution, funder, agency or that of the publisher. The authors are responsible for this article’s results, findings and content.

References