Government Services

South Africa’s system of cooperative governance places the responsibility for delivering public services primarily in the hands of local and provincial government, while national government sets the policy frameworks that shape how sectors are organised and how services should be delivered. In practice, however, institutional weaknesses at municipal and provincial levels have increasingly constrained the state’s ability to meet its service delivery obligations.

This reality has created a growing opportunity—and necessity—for private sector participation in the delivery of government services. Private partners are stepping in to stabilise operations, introduce innovation, and unlock investment across a range of sectors. Yet the regulatory environment, particularly in relation to public procurement, has not kept pace with this shift. Procurement rules remain geared toward traditional transactional purchasing rather than long-term partnership models, resulting in regulatory bottlenecks that slow the pace and scale of collaboration.

Infra Law operates at the centre of this evolving landscape. We help public institutions navigate complex regulatory frameworks, and we support private sector clients in structuring compliant, bankable and implementable solutions that enable government to deliver on its mandate. Our work blends legal expertise with a practical understanding of how government functions—and where it needs support.

Our track record in Government Services advisory and structuring

Infra Law has advised on a number of innovative and challenging government service-delivery projects. Our experience spans PPPs, municipal entities, institutional restructuring and long-term service-delivery partnerships. A sample of representative mandates include:

Urban Regeneration PPP Models
Through a World Bank appointment, advised a South African district municipality on PPP models for urban regeneration projects, including institutional readiness assessments, partnership structuring and alignment with municipal legislation and PPP regulations.
Municipal Entity Establishment
Advised on establishing a new municipal entity as a joint venture between a district municipality and a local nature reserve to develop and operate a leisure facility to boost local economic development, including entity structuring, regulatory compliance and drafting of legal agreements.
Prepaid Electricity Metering PPP
Acted for a funder and developer in drafting and negotiating a PPP agreement with a metropolitan municipality for the supply and operation of prepaid electricity meters, including back-office systems and collections infrastructure over a 15-year term.
Institutional Integration and Restructuring
- Advised a provincial public entity responsible for tourism on its integration with two similar entities into a single provincial tourism agency.
- Advised a provincial treasury on the disestablishment of two public entities and their consolidation into a new public entity focused on infrastructure development in the province. Work included drafting legal opinions, preparing PFMA applications and developing the legal instruments required for institutional restructuring.
Municipal Security for PPP Obligations
Advised an international finance institution on whether a municipality may provide security for its PPP payment obligations, including analysis of municipal finance legislation, procurement rules and covenants under existing municipal facility agreements.
Sub-National Debt Regulation
Appointed by a multilateral development bank to provide a legal opinion on the statutory regulation of sub-national debt in South Africa.

Why Government Chooses Infra Law

Infra Law brings a rare combination of regulatory insight, transactional capability and practical understanding of government operations. We help clients—public and private—navigate the complexities of South Africa’s governance and procurement frameworks, unlock opportunities for partnership, and deliver projects that strengthen public services and improve outcomes for communities.

Our work is grounded in deep sector knowledge, a commitment to legal excellence and a clear understanding of the realities facing government today.

Government Services