IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The theme of the event was “Harnessing Technology to Improve People's Lives”.

“This theme surely conveys to us the need to work as a collective – the three spheres of government, the private sector and civil society – to realise the goals advocated by the theme,” said the deputy minister.

Apart from unveiling the incubator, Bapela emphasised the importance of ICT service delivery as a vehicle for developing better lives in society.

This morning, Stella Tembisa Ndabeni-Abrahams, deputy minister of communications, handed over computer lab equipment and connectivity to the province’s Jonguhlanga Secondary and Chief Henry Bokleni High schools.

“Network operators must be encouraged to share infrastructure which, I believe, will enable them to make savings and maximise broadband deployment to the home and business as well as reduce the cost to communicate,” she said.

The department on Thursday admitted that the index was a starting point, and that the data collected to launch the new measurement tool had been difficult to collate. It hoped that as data improved, so would the eBarometer.

The report is aimed at facilitating an evidence-based and scientific approach when planning and implementing projects contained in the department's Strategic Plan.

Tech needs traction. For South Africa to truly embrace digital, the country needs a set of clear and effective policy and legal guidelines governing the new world of data and the cloud, writes Kabelo Makwane, MD of the Accenture Cloud First business in Africa.

Early February brought the Gauteng Provincial Government’s 2018 Technology Innovation Conference. The theme, Digital Innovation and Technological Disruption – Implications for Government, Industry & Civil Society, saw more than a thousand delegates converge for the two-day event.

"There is overwhelming positivity towards the idea of e-learning, but most teachers aren't equipped yet to use digital education tools," textbook publisher Via Afrika content manager Micheal Goodman said in a statement on Friday.

The publisher commissioned the study.

The Digital Migration Policy will see the roll-out of public service channels for youth and women, says Communications Minister Faith Muthambi.

"Our Digital Migration Policy will see a rollout of public services channels for youth, women, and education and egovernment services.

"We are most excited about the potential of egovernment services which will unlock access to basic internet services and digital information for millions of our people," she said on Wednesday.

Innovative tools are needed to realise the construction of SA’s first 5G-ready smart city

Before Covid-19 relegated most of society to the confines of their homes, the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) sought to bring digital transformation to the masses beyond online classes and work-from-home. Across businesses, digital transformation became the new buzz phrase, describing the potential of technology to rebuild entire industries.

Accelerate the internet, drive people’s experiences via technology and you’ll achieve your digital transformation ambitions across the SA market.

CIARAN RYAN: Digital transformation is a phrase we have heard repeatedly since the onset of Covid. Companies are reconfiguring the way they do business by adopting a hybrid model, allowing employees to work from home and the office. Companies have also been forced to change the way they interact with customers, many of whom are now perfectly comfortable with online interactions.

The City of Johannesburg launched the Smart City Innovation Challenge to improve the quality of life in the city.

The City of Johannesburg’s Smart City Office, in partnership with Wits University, launched the Smart City Innovation Challenge to tap into the creative and technological skills of residents, municipal employees, and entrepreneurs to solve the city’s most urgent urban issues.

Since launching in 2020, the programme has evolved into a dynamic platform that promotes innovation and collaboration across various sectors, including government, academia, startups, and local communities.

According to the 2011 IT Web-JCSE Skills Survey, two thirds (66%) of companies from a wide range of industries are severely impacted by a shortage of ICT skills. International figures would certainly seem to back up this finding, with evidence that demand for ICT skills is not being met. This is unsurprising, given the way in which ICT has become the platform on which most, if not all, business now runs, with government catching up fast.

Communications minister Yunus Carrim, his deputy Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, and minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel will launch the project, which first came to light in March last year when the DOC unveiled its strategic plan for 2013 to 2018.

In its document entitled “Broadband Policy for South Africa,” the Department of Communications (DoC) defined broadband as “an always available, multimedia connection with a download speed of at least 256kbps.”

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has approved R50-million in grant funding towards an estimated R1.5-billion smart city, which will integrate business, retail, commercial, industrial, hospitality and residential land uses that fulfil all requirements of a town in Nkunzama village, Limpopo.

This is according to Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Nomalungelo Gina, speaking during the official launch of the Nkuna City project by the Masingita Group of Companies in Nkunzana village.

Self-sufficient city

• 17 KM2
• $20 Billion USD
• Eastern region of South Africa
• 150,000 residents
• 40,000 residential units

Dubai-based URB have unveiled plans to develop Africa’s largest sustainable city known as THE PARKS. The city will provide the world’s highest standard for sustainable living for 150,000 residents. The city will also produce 100% of its energy, water & food on site to become a self-sufficient destination.

The opening of Westown Square marks a new economic hub for Durban's Outer West region.

In a significant milestone for the region, the Westown smart city development in Shongweni, just outside Durban, officially launched its first phase on Thursday, March 27, 2025, with the opening of the highly anticipated Westown Square shopping mall. This innovative mixed-use development aims to transform the area into a bustling economic hub along the N3 corridor between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, often referred to as the "Midrand of KZN" by its developers, Fundamentum Property Group.

The ‘Smart City' app is designed to integrate a range of services offered by the municipality. It is a responsive service delivery tool designed to enable municipalities to interact with their customers in real-time. This, in turn, not only saves the customers from having to queue at service points, but also allows speedy resolution and communication of cases. In this way, it can serve as the ultimate customer participation and customer relations tool for municipalities of all sizes.

The vision involves a shift to virtual learning environments, with digital resources and systems more readily available to schools, and enhanced engagement between educators and learners, says MEC Donald Grant.

The Democratic Alliance has said that it is “unacceptable” that the Department of e-Government incurred irregular expenditure of R31,9-million for the 2018/2019 financial year.

“According to the annual report for e-Government this irregular expenditure occurred as the department did not follow the required procurement processes,” says Adriana Randall, DA shadow MEC for Finance and e-Government. “Furthermore, the annual report indicates that some of the irregular expenditure relates to instances where the Supply Chain Management (SCM) processes were not followed.

Gauteng finance MEC Barbara Creecy said yesterday the security of the R500 million Gauteng Broadband Network programme, which will deliver e-government services, was not yet a focus of the project.