When COVID-19 hit South Africa’s shores, municipalities had to think on their feet, adapt and find alternative ways of performing their constitutional functions. Transparency in local government procurement is pivotal as it enables communities to monitor the delivery of public services and hold municipal authorities accountable. The issue of transparency was heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic, where local government was at the forefront of providing the much-needed basic services such as the distribution of personal protective equipment and other public equipment required by local citizens in the short term. This article explores the extent to which procurement processes at the local sphere of government during the current period of COVID-19 are transparent. Using a qualitative approach, the study relied on secondary data, including government reports, journal articles, newspaper articles and government legislation relatin