Good governance, the Holy Grail all countries, particularly developing countries, seek has been a topic of interest in Africa since the 1990s, spurred by concerns about the continent's lagging development. This article analyses the quality of South African governance based on 2007 to 2012 Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IAG) reports, which provide substantial, reliable and objective data for analysis. The IAG responds to the need for a relevant, objective, quantitative instrument for measuring quality of African governance and facilitating institutionalisation of good governance. African leaders have been concerned with devising an appropriate mechanism that would not only measure quality of governance but, more importantly, provide an opportunity for countries to improve through learning from one another. Bad governance, invariably synonymous with pursuit and implementation of policies that are not in the interest of maj