IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The development of the CGICT policy framework was primarily as a result of the assessments conducted by the Auditor General over the last couple of years. In 2010/11, the Auditor General concluded that only 21% of departments had implemented adequate governance controls, and that 79% of institutions did not have an ICT governance policy framework.

Our biggest cities already have a lot of the essential infrastructure needed for a smart city conversion

Smart cities offer a multitude of advantages for government and residents. They use technology and data to improve their efficiency and the lives of their residents, and to ensure that they are environmentally sustainable.

Take Singapore, for example. From digital health care to contactless payments systems, near-universal broadband and energy-efficient buildings, Singapore has become the global poster child for smart cities.

Taking on such a large public debt burden when the GDP-to-debt ratio is already strained does not seem advisable

In his state of the nation address last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa heralded the construction of a new 5G-ready smart city around Lanseria airport in the next decade. With it, SA was belatedly thrust to the front of a continent-wide rush to establish smart and eco-friendly cities, a means of jump-starting the fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) powered by digital technology.

Reported in news24.com, Dlamini-Zuma said a pilot project is current underway, which aims to test the accuracy of the system, and eventually introduce it in phases.

“The IEC is aware of the process and they are making sure they are ready,” the minister said.

South Africa is a dominantly urban country, with almost 70% of the population living in cities and towns. But urban services and infrastructures are coming under increasing strain from the collapse of infrastructure in many smaller and medium sized towns and deteriorating levels in the large cities.

A common response to a gathering urban crisis is to imagine starting afresh with new cities. The impulse crosses the political spectrum.

The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a migration from physical work spaces in many sectors of the economy to online, digital services, supported by staff working from home. Parts of the economy such as mining, manufacturing and hospitality still require workers to be physically present. But other sectors have discovered that virtual platforms are effective substitutes for offices.

Online, however, requires digital infrastructure and services in information and communication technology (ICT). Digital infrastructure is essential to meet the new demand for virtual services as quickly and cheaply as possible. On top of this the potential of digital technologies to support economic growth is apparent. Many developing countries have comprehensive national strategies and initiatives to foster data mining, digital intelligence, e-government and e-commerce. These include India and China.

Officials within South Africa's Gauteng provincial government have lauded the e-government programme saying it will help to fast-track the provision of broadband connectivity to link up government departments, agencies and service delivery points.

The programme, which is already being implemented in the province, will be launched officially at a two-day ICT Summit in Johannesburg.

The summit will cover e-learning, e-health and other ICT investments that have the potential to improve service delivery reads a statement from government.

Senior South African officials have confirmed that the country will introduce biometric border controls after stricter visa rules were blamed for a dip in tourism numbers.

Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said on Friday that the nation will now accept visa requests by post and set up biometric testing at its airports.

In the next three months‚ Cabinet has now mandated the Department of Home Affairs to Implement the capturing of biometrics at ports of entry starting with a pilot project at OR Tambo‚ King Shaka and Cape Town airports.

Presenting the agency's 2012/13 annual report to the National Council of Provinces' (NCOP's) select committee on social services in Cape Town on Thursday, Peterson said that over 150000 grants had been voluntarily cancelled between June 2012, when the re-registration process began, and June 2013, amounting to an annual saving of R150-million.

The project is believed to be the biggest of its kind and is set to be active in 2015. According to a report in MoneyWeb, this system has been devised in an attempt to address teacher absenteeism.

Currently, across South Africa, manual sign-in systems still exist for teachers, which has left the system susceptible to abuse and fraud. Some teachers sign in on behalf of others, while some forget to sign in at all.

The Smart ID Card will replace existing civic and immigration identity systems and will allow the government to digitally capture all biometric and biographical data of South Africans in one single system.

Reported first in BDlive, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini made the assertion that the agency is planning this implementation on Tuesday.

“We’ll be introducing a biometric system for all employees, we think it will go a long way in reducing corruption,” Dlamini said.

Smart city initiatives can stimulate local economies by attracting investments and creating jobs. Improved infrastructures and services can enhance the quality of life, making cities more appealing to businesses and residents alike.

Vodacom Business announced on september 26th a collaboration with South Africa local governments, aimed at deploying smart city solutions across the country. This initiative is part of a five-year Transversal Contract with the National Treasury, designed to enhance service delivery through technology in critical sectors such as utilities, healthcare, education, and security.

Responding to a question at National Assembly, regarding studies into broadband coverage, penetration and speed in the country, the minister said the department will endeavour to ensure broadband is cheaper.

“This we will address through several initiatives we will be taking in future, which will include the development and the implementation of the broadband strategy.”

Speaking about the role of ICT in the Gauteng Provincial Government's (GPG's) growth path, at the Gauteng ICT summit yesterday, Gauteng CIO Lemmy Chappie said the country must ensure the set-top boxes required for digital TV are manufactured locally.

“It's about time we became the China of Africa. Also, as a country we need to be able to build our own Microsoft-type of applications and this is possible through open source.”

Addressing delegates at the 2008 Gauteng Shared Services Centre e-government conference in Johannesburg on Monday, Department of Public Service Administration (DPSA) chief information officer Michelle Williams said the e-government strategy, as a concept, continued to hold "great promise", but it needed to be reworked, and brought back on track.

The Minister of Communications, Roy Padayachie, the Department of Communications and ICT industry leaders have today, 31 July 2011, signed an ICT Industry Competitiveness and Job Creation Compact, that commits to 100% broadband penetration by 2020 and the creation of one million additional jobs throughout the ICT industry.

With the government now firmly focused on economic recovery, with planned infrastructure spend and job creation top of mind, there is renewed emphasis on skills development and community upliftment.

Yet key to this recovery and economic stimulation will be revisiting digital transformation objectives, and empowering public sector employees and leaders with digital tools and platforms that introduce efficiencies…while spurring much needed innovation.

South Africa's private sector is abuzz with digital transformation. But what about our public sector? Is our government as committed to technological progress as we need them to be? It might surprise you to hear that the answer is yes and no. But in order to grasp that cryptic on-the-fence answer, you first need to understand that we cannot look at the public sector through a private sector lens.

The public sector, for all its critical importance, and all its apparent failures, is a unique blend of stakeholders, suppliers, financiers and citizens that make up everyone with a South African ID number as well as foreign nationals who come to work and play in our beautiful country. There are successes, but we all know that it can do a lot better.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST), in partnership with the World Economic Forum's Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Network (C4IR Network), has announced plans to establish an Affiliate Centre to prepare SA for the fourth industrial revolution (4IR).

The centre, announced today by science and technology minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane in Pretoria, will be a hub for global multi-stakeholder cooperation to develop policy frameworks and advance collaborations that accelerate the benefits of science and technology, while shaping the development and application of emerging technologies.