South Africa has rocketed up the rankings in the United Nations (UN) e-Government Index for 2024, climbing from 65 in 2022 to an impressive 40 out of 193 countries. This advancement places the nation among well-established economies globally, marking it as a leader in e-government development within Africa.
In a notable milestone, South Africa's progress is echoed by Mauritius, which ranks 76th, and Tunisia at 87th. Both South Africa and Mauritius have now entered the category of countries classified within the very high E-Government Development Index (EGDI) group. This classification highlights the remarkable strides made in enhancing digital government infrastructure and services across the region.
Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, welcomed this significant improvement by emphasising the importance of accelerating South Africa’s National e-Government Programme.
“As the digital economy gains rapid momentum, it’s imperative for South Africa to streamline processes that touch the lives of our citizens,” he said.
“We aim to see reduced queues for ID and passport documents, facilitating a more seamless application process. Our elderly should not be forced to wait for hours in healthcare facilities for medication.”
Malatsi stressed the need for enhanced accessibility, stating that licenses, permits, and various government services should be easily payable online.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to digital transformation, stating, “We strive to continue our efforts to digitally transform our public service to ensure that this vision is achieved.”
Collaboration with the UN on e-Government is deemed crucial, as it allows South Africa to contribute to the UN e-Government Development Index while gaining insights into global policy and technology trends that can be leveraged. The UN e-Government Survey, which commenced in 2001, reviews the digital governance status of all 193 member states biennially, providing valuable benchmarks for advancement.
South Africa’s solid performance, along with that of Mauritius, underscores a growing commitment across the continent to adopt digital government initiatives.
These initiatives ultimately enhance service delivery, increase transparency, encourage greater civic engagement, and bolster digital infrastructure and human capital. This achievement can be attributed to a multi-stakeholder approach, which has been pivotal in implementing the National e-Government Strategy.
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