Public Service and Administration Minister Mzamo Buthelezi will on Monday officially open the 24th National School of Government Public Sector Trainers’ Forum (PSTF) Conference at the Birchwood Conference Centre in Gauteng.
Hosted by the National School of Government (NSG), the two-day conference brings together learning and development practitioners from across the public sector to reimagine how public servants are trained and equipped to deliver on South Africa’s national priorities.
Deputy Minister for Public Service and Administration Pinky Kekana will address delegates during the conference gala dinner later in the evening. The conference concludes on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
Strengthening skills for a changing world
Held under the theme: ‘Building Public Sector Capacity for Economic Growth, Digital Transformation, and Ethical Governance’, the conference seeks to reshape public sector education to ensure it has maximum impact.
In a rapidly changing global environment, organisers say the need for a skilled, ethical and adaptable public service has become more important than ever.
The 2026 PSTF Conference will serve as a key platform to critically examine public sector curricula to ensure they adequately equip public officials to respond to modern governance challenges and deliver effectively on national priorities.
“There is a growing recognition that our current teaching and learning practices must evolve to better prepare public servants for the complexities of modern governance,” said the Acting Principal of the NSG, Phindile Mkwanazi.
“This conference is a call to action for curriculum designers, training facilitators, and policymakers to co-create strategies that translate learning into tangible service delivery improvements.”
Platform for dialogue and collaboration
The conference is expected to facilitate robust peer learning and networking among practitioners responsible for building skills within the public sector.
Delegates will participate in expert keynote addresses from both local and international speakers, as well as critical dialogues on curriculum reform and interactive panel discussions.
Organisers say the engagements will provide a space for practitioners to exchange ideas and explore new approaches to public sector education and training.
Focus on five priority themes
Discussions at the conference will centre on five core sub-themes aimed at strengthening the capability of the public sector.
These include strengthening the curriculum to support a capable, ethical and developmental state; leveraging digital innovation and transformation in government learning and operations; and modernising methodologies for authentic public participation through data literacy and artificial intelligence.
Other themes include designing curricula with stronger workplace integration to ensure training translates into action, as well as preparing for the future of work by embedding competencies related to artificial intelligence, automation and cybersecurity.
A growing platform for public sector training
Over the years, the PSTF has grown into a premier networking platform for more than 1 000 training practitioners across the public sector.
Its strategic objective is to position Human Resource Development as a key enabler of government’s broader development agenda.
The forum’s governance includes the National School of Government, the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), all provincial Offices of the Premiers, and key Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), ensuring a coordinated and comprehensive approach to public sector education.
The 24th annual conference also invites human resource development practitioners, facilitators, instructional designers, policy analysts and digital transformation specialists to take part in what organisers describe as a critical national dialogue on strengthening the capability of the public service. – SAnews.gov.za
