The Gauteng Department of e-Government (e-Gov) recorded a marked improvement in its fourth-quarter performance for the 2025/26 financial year. The department achieved 32 of its 38 planned targets, representing an overall performance rate of 84%.
The department presented its fourth-quarter performance report to members of the Gauteng Legislature’s e-Government Research and Development Committee today in Krugersdorp, on the West Rand.
Performance reporting is a legally mandated process through which government departments and public entities account to provincial legislatures. It requires the executive to demonstrate how public funds were used and whether specific service delivery targets were met.
MEC for e-Government, Mr Bonginkosi Dhlamini, said the department continues to play a pivotal role in supporting provincial service delivery through strategic ICT investments. He said the department remains focused on expanding, maintaining and enhancing ICT services that are modern, secure, cost-effective, and capable of driving innovation across the Gauteng City Region (GCR).
“One of the most notable achievements in recent years has been the department’s investment in foundational digital infrastructure. The expansion of high-speed broadband networks across government offices and public facilities has enabled greater connectivity and the adoption of new technologies. This robust and scalable infrastructure underpins our digital transformation journey and supports initiatives such as cloud computing, centralised data centres, and secure communication platforms,” said Dhlamini.
Dhlamini added that the department had shown significant improvement compared with the same quarter in the 2024/25 financial year, when it achieved 63%.
“We have increased our performance by 21%, which shows that the department is becoming more stable and that we are on the right path towards modernising the province,” he said.
The department’s report also addressed areas identified by members of the committee as requiring improvement and as critical to the department’s ability to fully achieve its targets. These include:
Digital infrastructure improvements
The department has committed R241 million in the 2026/27 financial year to mitigate ageing infrastructure and strengthen the maintenance of existing ICT infrastructure.
With regard to the rollout of Gauteng Provincial Network infrastructure, the department remains on track against its targets:
- 44 sites provided with WAN;
- 30 sites provided with LAN and four sites provided with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP);
- a total of 15 Wi-Fi hotspots provided.
CCTV cameras
No new CCTV camera installations are planned for the current financial year, as the department’s role is to provide the technology platform.
Responsibility for instructing the expansion of the CCTV camera network rests with the Gauteng Department of Community Safety. The department will therefore focus on maintaining the existing camera network.
Youth employment
The department had planned for 25% youth representation within the department; however, only 12% was achieved during the reporting period. The target could not be fully met due to budget constraints, which resulted in the suspension of the advertisement and filling of 30 planned vacant posts targeted at young people in Gauteng. In addition, the job evaluation process is still underway to ensure compliance with Regulation 40(c) of the Public Service Regulations.
To date, the department has not proceeded with filling the identified vacant posts pending the finalisation of the job evaluation process and confirmation of the available budget.
Reducing supplier payment turnaround from 10 days to 3 days
The department has introduced a three-day turnaround time for invoice payments, which is monitored by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. Delays in receiving supporting payment documents from end-users are monitored daily. End-users who do not comply with the three-day turnaround strategy are required to provide written explanations and, where the explanation is unsatisfactory, the matter is escalated to the Accounting Officer.
Instances of non-compliance by service providers, such as expired tax documents and non-compliant CSD reports, are also monitored weekly. Suppliers are informed to update their status as and when issues arise.
Seven percent of procurement budget to be spent on companies owned by persons with disabilities
The Request for Quotation (RFQ) team has been provided with a list of designated suppliers to help the department meet its target relating to persons with disabilities. This strategy is aligned with the current database sourced through outreach programmes. Progress will be monitored through weekly reports, including supplier rotation for persons with disabilities. The department plans to spend 7% of its procurement budget on companies owned by persons with disabilities by the end of the financial year.
Appointment of digital ambassadors
The youth ambassadors participate in 4IR and digital skills development projects aimed at enhancing digital capacity, innovation, and service delivery through training, mentorship and participation in project-related activities.
Appointment approach:
- The first intake of 75 e-Services ambassadors was appointed in August 2025, and the programme will run for 24 months.
- The second intake of 75 ambassadors (25 e-Services ambassadors and 50 digital ambassadors) is envisaged to commence on 1 June 2026 for a period of 24 months.
- The first intake was appointed through a partnership with the National Youth Service (NYS).
The NYS partnership was selected to ensure that ambassadors were drawn from individuals already embedded in their communities and working closely with NGOs across Gauteng’s five corridors. All replacements are processed through the NYS pipeline to maintain continuity and due process.
Eligibility criteria:
Matric (NSC) at minimum;
- existing community involvement or NGO/CBO affiliation;
- residence within one of Gauteng’s five corridors; and
- successful completion of NEMISA digital literacy certification.
The e-Services ambassadors advocate for Gauteng Provincial Government digital platforms and engage community members to drive the uptake of online government services across all five corridors.
SUPPLIED.
