Corruption is regarded as a global phenomenon that no country is immune to, and it has been a well-known fact that it is prevalent in less developed countries (Enste & Heldman, 2017). In the South African public sector, evidence points to corrupt activities, such as state capture, real political interference in massive contracts, and political deployments (amaBhungane, 2017; Newham, 2014). Therefore, this study sought to investigate manifestations of corruption within KwaZulu-Natal municipalities. The quantitative research method was used to collect and analyse numerical data. A structured questionnaire was adopted to collect the data from 225 respondents. The result showed that the common manifestations of corruption in the KwaZulu-Natal municipalities were fraud and bribery, financial mismanagement, abuse of power, procurement irregularities, appointment irregularities, and unethical behaviour. Among indicators, items fraud and bribery had the most significant impact on corruption, followed by mismanagement of funds, abuse of resources, procurement irregularities, appointment irregularities, and unethical behaviour. The study is significant because it sheds more light on the various forms of corruption in KwaZulu-Natal municipalities. The study helps South African organisations to detect different forms of corruption and take appropriate mitigation measures. The study expands on limited empirical research on the common manifestations of corruption in the South African public sector.

International trends suggest that corruption is prevalent in every country (Enste & Heldman, 2017). For instance, Sohail, Arslan and Zaman (2014) contended that corruption is increasingly having negative implications for governments and organisations worldwide. Therefore, this study explores the approaches for curbing corruption in emerging economies. An exploratory research design was conducted. The qualitative research method was adopted to investigate the subject matter. Interviews were conducted among 12 participants in the selected municipalities located in KwaZulu-Natal. Data quality was determined through trustworthiness. The data was analysed using NVivo, version 12.0. Thematic analysis was conducted to observe, organise, describe, and report the patterns obtained from the data set. The overall findings identified key approaches to curbing corruption in the KwaZulu-Natal municipalities, including resource availability, anti-corruption agencies, community involvement and participation, legal frameworks, non-political interference, and accountability. The study provides adequate explanations of the approaches to curbing corruption in emerging economies. The study will help South African public organisations to detect different forms of corruption and take appropriate measures to mitigate them. The study will help accountability, transparency, and good governance in the South African public sector