The authors of the paper, principal analyst Nick Jotischky and senior analyst Sheridan Nye, found that east African countries including Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania had taken the benefits of delivering public services using cellular technologies to citizens and small businesses faster than SA, particularly in the agricultural sector, for the payment of utility bills, and other financial transactions.
Despite South Africa's appearance at the top of the index, authors Nick Jotischky and Sheridan Nye note that mobile government implementations have been far slower to take off there than in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. The East African countries have been quicker to realise the benefits to citizens and small businesses (agricultural advice, payment of utility bills, commodity pricing information) of delivering public services using cellular technologies.
Read more: South Africa ready to embrace mobile government services
Initiatives such as Health TV in clinics and using SMS and email to track patients with chronic diseases and HIV/Aids mean that the City’s health department is already serious about turning Joburg into a smarter and healthier city by 2040.
“There is a need for us to use innovative ways to solve health problems, so we must constantly keep abreast of technological innovations,” said Nonceba Molwele, the member of the mayoral committee for health and social services, at the third session of the GDS2040 Smart Cities Week.
So says Khaya Ngcakani, Gijima Public Services' e-government consultant, who notes that SA's e-government initiatives are often large, 'big bang' initiatives that are almost always internally focused, and not necessarily informed by the socio-economic requirements of the bulk of the citizens.
According to the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), SA still remains holed in the first stage of maturity when it comes to e-government.
In its bid to create a smart city, Johannesburg has been hard at work for quite some time already, and its Public Access to Internet in Libraries (Pail) project has been up-and-running for years to empower Joburg’s poorer citizens.
Nobuntu Mpendulo, the director of library and information services, spoke about the initiative on the second day of the smart cities themed week of the GDS2040.