[17 May 2025]

On May 13, 2025, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies unveiled a plan for the government’s digital transformation.

South Africa’s Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of Government 2025

To modernize government services through digitization, the Digital Transformation Roadmap outlines the development of “digital public infrastructure” (DPI), notably a unified online access point for all government services known as “Digital Mzanzi.” This strategy adopts a novel approach to digital transformation, learning from the achievements of peer nations such as India, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.

The Roadmap will be implemented through the following phases and milestones:

• Phase 1 (2025–2027): Strengthening Social Protection through Technology: This initial phase will concentrate on social protection and its integral relationship with learning and earning opportunities, directly benefiting millions of vulnerable South Africans. Our actions will include digitizing services for more rapid and dependable access, and establishing links between social grants and employment, training, and income-generating activities to build sustainable livelihoods. We will also deploy technology to address grant fraud and exclusion, ensuring better resource management and increased public trust.
• Phase 2 (2028–2030): Expanding Technological Solutions to Key Sectors: Leveraging the insights gained from Phase 1, this phase will broaden our scope to encompass other essential sectors such as healthcare, education, and business services, scaling effective technological interventions across the government.