While government has made significant strides since the 1990s in adopting digital technologies to ensure that it delivers efficient services to its citizens, it has not fully achieved this ideal.
To make up for this shortfall, government has, in recent years, taken important steps to improve the quality of and access to services.
Digital platforms have expanded in many areas, making it possible to file taxes, apply for grants and access some services online. But for too many people, the experience of accessing public services remains a time-consuming and expensive exercise.
Information often proves difficult to find, processes are duplicated in some instances, and some departments still operate in ways that are incompatible with the digital age and the evolving expectations of citizens.
“South Africa has made considerable but uneven strides toward government digitalisation.
"Despite pockets of excellence, slow and uncoordinated progress has left many people dissatisfied,” says Presidency Director of Strategy and Delivery Support, Saul Musker.
In an ongoing effort to ensure that government services are easier to access, more reliable and less complicated to navigate for the people who depend on them, government has launched the Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of Government.
“We are building on a lot of work that’s unfolded over decades. It started in the 1990s with the early adoption of digital technologies by government. In the 2000s, we had e-Government, which was characterised by silos.
“We are moving towards taking the 'whole-of-government and society' approach, developing solutions that are citizen-centered; that make life for citizens easier and introduces greater cohesiveness in government, so that citizens interface with government in one place to receive services and access information,” Musker said recently, addressing the launch of the Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of Government, which was launched as part of Operation Vulindlela Phase ll.
Operation Vulindlela Phase ll is a joint initiative between the Presidency and National Treasury to accelerate the implementation of structural reforms to enable economic growth and job creation.
Phase II of Operational Vulindlela will implement reforms in three new areas, including in digital transformation.
The roadmap sets out a focused plan to modernise delivery of government services through investment in digital public infrastructure.
These crucial digital reforms will enable all citizens to access seamless government services through a single trusted platform. This will be driven through improvements in identity verification, real-time payments, and data exchange.
“We want to invest in shared infrastructure and digital public infrastructure that can be used for hundreds of applications that reduces cost for the State and opens the door to innovation. We are moving away from the silo approach towards Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
“We recognise that digital transformation holds the potential for growth in South Africa. A new approach to digital transformation will restore trust in government and make services more reliable and accessible, reducing administrative burdens and costs for both government, organisations and people,” Musker said.
The Digital Transformation Roadmap will focus on four catalytic initiatives:
- A Digital Identity System will allow South Africans a simple way to verify themselves and access services remotely.
- A Data Exchange Framework will eradicate the silo effect in government, and allow greater efficiency and coordination in how the government operates.
- A Digital Payments System that provides universal access to secure, low-cost payment options between government and citizens.
- A single, zero-rated Digital Services Platform, where citizens can access all government services and information.
Digital reform
The Digital Transformation Roadmap will be implemented in two phases, with phase 1 being March 2025 – February 2027 and Phase 2 being March 2027 – February 2030.
Phase 1 will prioritise social protection and its linkages with learning and earning opportunities due to its direct impact on millions of vulnerable South Africans.
“This phase will deliver immediate, measurable impact and lay the foundation for broader digital reform. The focus will be on digitising services for faster, more reliable access, linking social grants to employment, training, and income-generating opportunities to create pathways to sustainable livelihoods.
“Additionally, technology will be used to address issues such as fraud and exclusion in the SRD370 grants, saving money and strengthening public trust.
“Phase 2 will expand focus to other key sectors, such as healthcare, education, and business services, building on the lessons learned from Phase 1 to scale successful technologies across government,” the Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of Government said.
To drive implementation of the roadmap, the Presidency is establishing the Digital Service Unit (DSU) to coordinate this whole-of-government effort to modernise services.
The Presidency has appointed South African tech entrepreneur, Melvyn Lubega, to lead the DSU.
Lubega is a globally recognised technology pioneer, who co-founded Go1 - a platform used by businesses, non-profit organisations, and governments in more than 60 countries.
He has advised governments in Africa, Asia and Europe on digital transformation programmes. - SAnews.gov.za
