Is South Africa truly ready for smart cities full of bullet trains and flying taxis?
According to Sunil Geness, director of global government affairs & CSR for Africa at SAP, smart cities hold enormous potential for improving the quality of life for millions of South Africans.
“Smart cities leverage technology to bring improvements to every aspect of the citizen experience, from affordable housing to education and work opportunities. With a fast-growing population and high levels of development, South Africa is well positioned to take advantage of the benefits of smart cities to improve the living conditions of millions of citizens.”
South Africa’s metros are leveraging today’s technologies to improve service delivery and enhance the citizen experience, transforming the country into smarter, more sustainable cities.
According to Sunil Geness, Director of Global Government Affairs & CSR for Africa at SAP, smart cities hold enormous potential for improving the quality of life for millions of South Africans. “Smart cities leverage technology to bring improvements to every aspect of the citizen experience, from affordable housing to education and work opportunities. With a fast-growing population and high levels of development, South Africa is well positioned to take advantage of the benefits of smart cities to improve the living conditions of millions of citizens.”
What makes a good mayor? What makes a good municipality? For me, it is our ability to meet our constitutional obligations to serve the people of Thembisile Hani local municipality by providing services that are enduring and of a high quality — and able to impact our landscape positively.
I would also define success on our part as when the poorest and most vulnerable among us are not only able to survive but live happily within this municipal region. But to attain this, I realised that we needed to do things differently than before.
Read more: ZA: Municipalities must rely on software to deliver on their mandates
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG) have formed a strategic partnership that will leverage the CSIR’s resources, research and development (R&D) capabilities and facilities to enhance the capacity of government structures to deliver services efficiently and effectively.
The CSIR aims to support the DCoG through various R&D capabilities, such as geospatial technologies for effective disaster risk management and comprehensive environmental monitoring.
Read more: CSIR, department partner to improve govt service delivery
With urban populations set to explode during the coming years, urban areas are leveraging technology to best serve their inhabitants and transform themselves into smart cities. Progress has been made with the residential development of the Mooikloof Mega City in Gauteng, which was first announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2020 with a total project value of R84 billion. And, recently, Human Settlements Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi announced a multidisciplinary team had developed the master plan for the Greater Lanseria smart city project, with the City of Johannesburg processing the necessary approvals for urban planning required for the planned development.
Read more: How Does Technology Impact South Africa’s Cities & Rural Communities?