The first phase of a smart city development in Shongweni, outside of Durban, is set to launch today, Thursday, 27 March 2025.
According to a Newzroom Afrika report, the smart city development, dubbed Westown, is expected to attract around R15 billion in private-sector investment over the next 10 to 15 years and create more than 23,000 jobs.
The first phase is part of a larger project that includes retail, housing, and healthcare facilities. It is located just off of the N3 highway near Hillcrest.
Smart surveillance and AI can give impetus to SA’s digital transformation process, and although budgets are constrained, there is a clear opportunity for government to leverage the technology to support its ICT and telecommunications objectives.
This is according to Rudie Opperman, manager for engineering and training, MEA at network solutions provider Axis Communications.
Read more: Why smart surveillance, AI are essential to SA’s digital transformation
Online service delivery reporting platform "My Smart City" has set its sights on expanding to Namibia and the UK, after seeing demand for its service locally.
Introduced by Acumen Software in 2021, "My Smart City" is a web and mobile app that enables residents to log calls relating to service delivery problems, including reporting potholes, monitoring power or water outages, communicating with local municipal officials and raising a petition.
Read more: ZA: "My Smart City" plans crossing borders to Namibia, UK
The dream of the smart city has long been held up as the pinnacle of urban evolution. The promise of seamlessly connected infrastructure, real-time data analytics, and AI-driven efficiency has hovered on the horizon for decades, but almost as a mirage in the distance.
Now, the first signs of a functional smart city In South Africa are emerging in a form that few expected. Instead of government-planned utopias like the proposed Greater Lanseria Smart City, the real strides are being made at the level of basic municipal services, driven not by state-led mega-projects, but by independent technology initiatives.
Read more: ZA: Smart City is here – but not what we expected
The City of Joburg has adopted Smart City as one of its priorities – from which several innovative projects and programmes have been implemented and are now part of the organisational processes. The City’s e-Joburg self-help website is a good example of how technology has changed the lives of residents who use it. With more than 300,000 registered users to date in less than three years since it was launched, the platform has transformed how residents interact with the city.
The e-Joburg platform allows residents to view their municipal statements, pay accounts, and manage their accounts independently in the comfort of their homes, offices or wherever they find themselves.