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South Africa's government aims to expand lifestyle audits beyond the national and provincial spheres, introducing them to the 257 municipalities across the country. However, the regulations for these audits will not be finalized before the local government elections on November 4. The Department of Public Service and Administration, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and the South African Local Government Association (Salga) have formed a task team to align ethics, discipline management, and lifestyle audits across public service.

Despite not being mandatory in local government, councillors and senior management officials are required to disclose their finances under the Municipal Structures Act. The Lifestyle Audit Regulations development process involves multiple stakeholders, including the Minister for Public Service and Administration, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and the chairperson of Salga.

The task team has divided responsibilities into three technical workstreams: Ethics Management, Discipline Management, and Lifestyle Audits. The Lifestyle Audit Regulations are currently being drafted, with the consultation and finalization process expected to conclude by the end of the 2028/29 financial year. However, the Ethics Management and Discipline Management workstreams have yet to convene, leaving open the possibility that the implementation of lifestyle audits for local government officials could be delayed by an additional three years.

Critics argue that with corruption and financial misconduct plaguing municipalities, such a delay is unacceptable.