Kagiso Trust, a South African development agency dedicated to socioeconomic progress and institutional capacity building, highlights the critical role of technology in municipal governance.
Kagiso Trust Advocates for Tech Skills Development
According to Kagiso Trust’s local governance head, Paul Smith, and policy development head, Zanele Mabaso, while technology systems are often blamed for municipal underperformance, the real challenge lies in the low levels of tech skills, institutional culture, and leadership within local government.
Smith emphasizes that the lack of data-driven decision-making hampers municipal viability and service delivery. He underscores the importance of leveraging technology to empower municipalities with data-supported empirical evidence for effective decision-making.
However, Smith notes that the success of technology implementation depends on the willingness of individuals, particularly senior staff, to embrace and effectively utilize these tools.
Mabaso echoes Smith’s sentiments, highlighting the need to address institutional culture and leadership alongside technology adoption. She emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability in municipal processes to enhance service delivery.
Mabaso Emphasizes the Need for Municipalities to Adopt Technology
In response to these challenges, Kagiso Trust has partnered with the tech non-profit organization, Empire Partner Foundation, to host a hackathon aimed at improving local government data management.
The hackathon seeks to introduce tech-centric solutions that enable communities to access municipal services more efficiently.
Mabaso emphasizes the need for municipalities to adopt technology and build transparency in their processes to improve accountability and service delivery. She stresses that addressing root causes rather than symptoms is crucial for sustainable progress.
Smith underscores the importance of communal ideation in addressing municipal challenges, citing the hackathon as an example of collaborative efforts to innovate solutions.
Kagiso Trust Aims
He emphasizes the need for creativity and community involvement in developing solutions that address multiple issues, including job seeking and local development.
Through initiatives like the hackathon and a focus on building tech skills and fostering a culture of innovation, Kagiso Trust aims to drive meaningful change in municipal governance and service delivery in South Africa.
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