In this report, the second in the NEPAD POLICY FOCUS series published by SAIIA’s Nepad and Governance Project, Peter Farlam draws lessons from the experience of implementing public-private partnerships in Africa over the last decade. Using case studies from around the continent in sectors as diverse as transport, electricity and water provision and eco-tourism, the report cautions African governments contemplating this form of development finance to be aware of the risks involved. PPPs can be a valuable development tool for building much-needed infrastructure, but only if implemented transparently and methodically; otherwise PPPs are prone to the problems that have beset privatisation worldwide – corruption, political fallout and price hikes for citizens.