GovTech 2026, Durban ICC
The KZN MEC for Economic Development, Rev. Musa Zondi,
MEC of eGovernment in Gauteng Bonginkosi Dhlamini
Executive Mayor of eThekwini, Cyril Xaba
Members of the Portfolio Committee on Communications
Leaders of state entities
Distinguished sponsors, partners and delegates.
Good morning
I want to start off in an appealing to every man in the room. We need to do better to tackle behaviour and attitudes that create the platform for gender inequality and gender-based violence in the country to continue.
We meet here today at the time where our country is grappling with unprecedented levels of femicide. Even as we harness technology, we must recognise that meaningful progress cannot be measured by innovation alone. It must be measured by how it also protects the safety and dignity of all women on our country.
Since its launch in 2006 GovTech, proudly hosted by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), has become the flagship event where government, industry, academia, entrepreneurs and innovators gather to take stock of the country’s digital transformation and work to build stronger technology-enabled service delivery.
Our presence here is greater than another talk shop or exhibition – it must work to catalyse the economy, spark job creation and eradicate poverty to improve the lives of our people.
It is worth noting that we have made significant progress in our mission to build an inclusive digital economy. We have expanded connectivity across the country – today, at least 98% of households are connected to the internet.
Hundreds of thousands of people now have better access to the internet, opening up opportunities learning, earning and connecting with others.
But, we must be honest in our assessment of where we are on South Africa’s Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of Government if we are to hold ourselves accountable and realise our objectives.
The challenges we face – both external and self-imposed - prevent us from realising the impact of a fully capacitated digital economy.
While connectivity is widespread, the cost of accessing the internet is still high for many households. This is not what we consider meaningful connectivity for all.
The Digital Transformation Roadmap launched last year focuses on four key initiatives that will transform government services to deliver affordable, fast and secure public services.
Phase one of the strategy closes in February 2027. That is five months from now.
Last year, I noted our digital systems in government were fragmented, and this remains the case. If we are to deliver services efficiently and effectively in the modern age, we must address this as a matter of urgency.
Our data must be interoperable, and I’m pleased that we will be addressing the interoperability of digital services in earnest on days 2 and 3 of the conference.
The question we need to answer in these conversations is: how can we reduce moments of friction for citizens as they access public services?
Improving digital government, including the interoperability of our systems, isn’t only about delivering services or issuing documents, it’s about building trust with citizens:
Trust that their data is secure as we send their information between departments, trust that their rights will be protected at all times and trust that government remains autonomous.
Data interoperability does not only save money, it enables better decision-making in government. When departments and entities share information, we address the siloed approach to governance, which means we can all work toward the same goals.
GovTech’s focus on digital sovereignty comes at a time of much geopolitical contestation and serious conversations about the rate of evolution of artificial intelligence and the future risks to humanity it poses.
While we will need to adapt to the rapid technological developments, it is imperative that we have a clear strategy and policies regarding digital sovereignty and how we decide our digital future. We must become the architect of our digital destiny for the benefit of our citizens.
The concept of digital sovereignty is something that many counties are grappling with in balancing national interests with the benefits of evolving technologies.
At state level it is broadly considered to be a country’s ability to make meaningful choices about its digital future, including data, infrastructure and online rights, rather than being wholly dependent on third parties.
It is our responsibility amongst others, to develop legislation, enforce regulations, protect citizens and their information, protect national security and facilitate the roll-out of critical infrastructure.
Digital technologies are no longer just tools of work; they are the backbone of society, underpinning everything from travel and communication to electrification, healthcare and elections.
The ICT sector is an enabler of growth for all sectors in the economy, but to create an enabling environment we must develop policies which bring about clarity and consistency.
The policies we craft must reflect the realities of today and the opportunities of the future. We cannot govern tomorrow’s digital economy with yesterday’s rules.
While a large part of the programme for day 1 is about framing our national digital sovereignty, the strategic outcome of GovTech 2026 must be a shift from defining the vision to executing it.
We must centre measurable delivery, institutional accountability, sovereign capability and citizen outcomes.
Academics Fratini, Hine, Novelli and others talk about a concept called “Robust governance” in their examination of various digital governance models adopted by state bodies around the world.
They define robust governance as the ability of a government to preserve essential public functions while adapting to unexpected change.
The rapid evolution of digital technologies will require our governance to be robust and adaptable as we respond to technological innovation, AI, cybersecurity threats, geopolitical conflict, and shifts in social norms and regulation.
Robust governance means we must continue to function in the face of disruption for the benefit and wellbeing of our citizens. To achieve this, we need both stability and flexibility.
While our laws and long-term objectives must be clear, we must remain capable of responding quickly to unexpected changes.
Many of you have heard me say that government cannot and should not own South Africa’s digital economy and ecosystem to the exclusion of others.
Government can’t own every cable, server and platform. Rather, government must set public-interest objectives and provide policy certainty.
As we form a model of digital governance that helps us achieve our ambitions, I believe we can take direction from the approach we take building our digital economy.
We should combine strong state capacity with the protection of citizen rights, maintenance and enhancement of national security, the construction of worldclass infrastructure, progressive international cooperation, support for innovation and businesses of every size, and strong stakeholder collaboration and participation.
Digital sovereignty must be treated as more than just security or control issues; it must be viewed as a developmental issue, that forms part of our growth plans as a developmental and capable state.
As such we must ask ourselves a range of questions over the course of the next three days:
- How can we protect citizens’ privacy and digital rights?
- How do we, as government, secure sensitive public data and critical infrastructure?
- Which digital capabilities must we develop in-country? And how do we create the environment for innovation and skills development to flourish?
- How can South Africa play an influential role on global platforms to advance local and African interests?
While developed nations and the corporations based there enjoy an outsized share of voice on many of the digital advancements changing the world, we have unique characteristics on the continent which present opportunities to be central players and not just spectators or takers of services.
I recently met with officials from Operation Vulindlela, which is based in the Presidency, as well as the chair and CEO of the Digital Council, to explore the case for positioning South Africa as a global submarine cable and digital infrastructure hub.
With ongoing conflict in the Middle East disrupting transportation and global communications technology, South Africa's geographic position creates an opportunity to become a strategic alternative global connectivity hub and digital gateway between Africa, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Australia.
The initiative holds the potential to drive investment in South Africa, economic growth, digital transformation and job creation opportunities. It would also position South Africa as a key digital technology player on the global stage.
I share this as an example of the type of ideas we should be exploring to increase the role we play in the global conversation on digital sovereignty.
Over these three days we must be the architects of ambitious plans to realise our vision. The ultimate measure of the success and impact of this conference will be evident in the quality of innovations and solutions that will eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, improve efficiency, reduce costs of delivery and most importantly inform better choices for both citizens and the state.
Technological innovations and solutions are meant to deliver a seamless and smooth digital experience for those using them and not add to their frustrations.
Lastly, to the government officials who make the choices about which solutions are adopted by respective government departments, always think about how that will make life better for citizens rather than what’s in it for you.
Let us be honest about what is not working, commit to doing better and learning from what works so that when we gather here again next, we don’t repeat the same ambitious but rather showcase tangible results.
Technology is not our destiny; our choices are. It is my wish that emerging out of here, we will make better choices for the benefit of our country’s digital transformation journey.
SITA as an organisation is going through a phase of recovery. It has a new MD and board to steer it towards a phase of good governance, consistent, reliable delivery and a better digital experience for citizens.
It is now in good hands to fulfil its mandate as a trusted and efficient information and technology agency. And in the words of the MD “to enable government” and not impede it.
And chair, be rest assured that on my end, you are guaranteed both my support and robust oversight to ensure that SITA delivers.
I wish you success for the next three days.
I thank you.
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