Democratic performance in Africa and how parliamentary democracies are trailblazing the rest in the post-pandemic era

While the broad usage of terms like ‘democratic backsliding’ to describe recent developments in Africa may misrepresent the actual situation, it does not negate the overall decline in democratic performance on the continent. However, focusing solely on these negative trends overlooks significant developments and recent successes in countries traditionally viewed as democracies in Africa. This chapter discusses the democratic experiences of Mauritius, Botswana, and South Africa, which rank first, second, and third, respectively, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s democracy index. The empirical analysis is based on the Afrobarometer dataset, emphasising two of the five categories of democracy: the functioning of government and political culture. Four constructs were selected for each of these categories, including trust in political parties, support for democracy, media checks on government, and satisfaction with democracy. Additionally, this study examines the role of opposition parties in holding the government accountable, the influence of political and social identities, the impact of international actors (specifically the US, EU, and China), and the diversity of party affiliation and tolerance. The findings offer contextually relevant lessons for African countries striving to achieve functional democratic systems rather than merely mimicking Western democracies with vastly different socioeconomic and political histories.