An Assessment of the Roles of the Government, Regulators, and Investors in ESG Implementation in South Africa: A Scoping Review
The purpose of this study was to detect from the literature the roles of the Government, investors, and regulators in ESG implementation in South Africa from 2002 to 2022. ESG implementation in South Africa ensures sustainable business practices are adopted by firms operating within the country. The...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Administrative Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/6/220 |
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| author | Wilfreda Indira Chawarura Mabutho Sibanda Kuziva Mamvura |
| author_facet | Wilfreda Indira Chawarura Mabutho Sibanda Kuziva Mamvura |
| author_sort | Wilfreda Indira Chawarura |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The purpose of this study was to detect from the literature the roles of the Government, investors, and regulators in ESG implementation in South Africa from 2002 to 2022. ESG implementation in South Africa ensures sustainable business practices are adopted by firms operating within the country. The study used a scoping review methodology, with only articles in the English language being considered. A pilot search was carried out to identify key search phrases to be included in the search strategy. A total of 208 articles were identified and only 34 articles were eligible for the study. The results show an increase in ESG implementation by institutional investors, although investor activism is still low in South Africa. The South African Government actively enacted laws and regulations that supported ESG implementation after the global financial crisis of 2007–8. However, in recent years, there has been a lack of hard laws to support the non-legislative ESG rules that dominate ESG reporting. The study shows that the South African Government should improve its ESG laws for effective ESG adoption and avoid relying on the JSE, which enforces the King Code as a mandatory listing requirement to monitor ESG implementation. Training, capacity building, and active Government participation are critical for effective ESG implementation in South Africa. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-929127ca2d4a4816a6a90ee491dcc383 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3387 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Administrative Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-929127ca2d4a4816a6a90ee491dcc3832025-08-20T03:26:09ZengMDPI AGAdministrative Sciences2076-33872025-06-0115622010.3390/admsci15060220An Assessment of the Roles of the Government, Regulators, and Investors in ESG Implementation in South Africa: A Scoping ReviewWilfreda Indira Chawarura0Mabutho Sibanda1Kuziva Mamvura2School of Accounting, Economics and Finance (SAEF), University of KwaZulu-Natal, J Block—J224, 2nd Floor, Westville Campus, University Road, Westville, Durban 3630, South AfricaSchool of Accounting, Economics and Finance (SAEF), University of KwaZulu-Natal, J Block—J224, 2nd Floor, Westville Campus, University Road, Westville, Durban 3630, South AfricaSchool of Accounting, Economics and Finance (SAEF), University of KwaZulu-Natal, J Block—J224, 2nd Floor, Westville Campus, University Road, Westville, Durban 3630, South AfricaThe purpose of this study was to detect from the literature the roles of the Government, investors, and regulators in ESG implementation in South Africa from 2002 to 2022. ESG implementation in South Africa ensures sustainable business practices are adopted by firms operating within the country. The study used a scoping review methodology, with only articles in the English language being considered. A pilot search was carried out to identify key search phrases to be included in the search strategy. A total of 208 articles were identified and only 34 articles were eligible for the study. The results show an increase in ESG implementation by institutional investors, although investor activism is still low in South Africa. The South African Government actively enacted laws and regulations that supported ESG implementation after the global financial crisis of 2007–8. However, in recent years, there has been a lack of hard laws to support the non-legislative ESG rules that dominate ESG reporting. The study shows that the South African Government should improve its ESG laws for effective ESG adoption and avoid relying on the JSE, which enforces the King Code as a mandatory listing requirement to monitor ESG implementation. Training, capacity building, and active Government participation are critical for effective ESG implementation in South Africa.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/6/220ESGimplementationgovernmentregulatorsinvestorsSouth Africa |
| spellingShingle | Wilfreda Indira Chawarura Mabutho Sibanda Kuziva Mamvura An Assessment of the Roles of the Government, Regulators, and Investors in ESG Implementation in South Africa: A Scoping Review Administrative Sciences ESG implementation government regulators investors South Africa |
| title | An Assessment of the Roles of the Government, Regulators, and Investors in ESG Implementation in South Africa: A Scoping Review |
| title_full | An Assessment of the Roles of the Government, Regulators, and Investors in ESG Implementation in South Africa: A Scoping Review |
| title_fullStr | An Assessment of the Roles of the Government, Regulators, and Investors in ESG Implementation in South Africa: A Scoping Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Assessment of the Roles of the Government, Regulators, and Investors in ESG Implementation in South Africa: A Scoping Review |
| title_short | An Assessment of the Roles of the Government, Regulators, and Investors in ESG Implementation in South Africa: A Scoping Review |
| title_sort | assessment of the roles of the government regulators and investors in esg implementation in south africa a scoping review |
| topic | ESG implementation government regulators investors South Africa |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/6/220 |
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