Rethinking the Role of Local Government in Service Delivery in South Africa: Towards Digital Transformation
Costa Hofisi 
& Lewis Edwin Chigova
Issue: Vol.4 No.14 Special Issue Article 6 pp.64-76
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234147 | Published online 21st December, 2023
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The article provided insights into why local government and service delivery must be rethought in light of digital transformation. It exposed the significance of digital transformation in solving local government and service delivery challenges. The article followed a qualitative research approach. It employed document analysis and literature review as data collection instruments. It argued that digital transformation can help local governments in South Africa fulfil constitutional obligations and meet policy goals. It demonstrated how digitally transformed local government can solve service delivery problems through the deployment of digital technologies that improve decision-making, cut costs, streamline operations, and offer efficient services. The article revealed that the digital divide, lack of technical expertise, data security concerns and resource constraints are some of the challenges that can affect the digital transformation of local government and service delivery in South Africa. These challenges must be resolved for digital transformation to play a significant role in improving the effectiveness of local government in service delivery. The article recommended that local governments in South Africa digitally transform in ways that foster equality and deliver local government services to all citizens. The article contributes to scholarship advocating for public sector innovation broadly, and specifically, illustrates the criticality of embracing digital transformation of local government and service delivery.
Keywords: Digital Transformation, Digital Technologies, Local Government, South Africa, Service Delivery
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Costa Hofisi is a Research Director at North-West University, South Africa. His research interests include public sector innovation and public policy.
Lewis Edwin Chigova is a post-doctoral fellow at North-West University’s Afrocentric Governance of Public Affairs. Lewis’s research interests include public sector innovation, civic crowdfunding, co-production, digital local governance, climate-change-induced urban displacements, and diaspora philanthropy.
Hofisi, Costa & Chigova,Lewis Edwin. “Rethinking the Role of Local Government in Service Delivery in South Africa: Towards Digital Transformation.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 4, no.14 Special Issue (2023): 64-76. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20234147
© 2023 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
