Brümilda Swartbooi
Clament Makuba Racheku (25) has dedicated himself to simplifying complex information management and reporting processes through “the art of storytelling with numbers”.
“Numbers and data tell a story,” he says. “My job allows me to come up with creative ideas to transform numbers from data into information that helps solve real-world problems.”
Clament joined the City of Johannesburg’s Group Strategy, Policy Coordination, and Relations (GSPCR) in 2022 as an intern in the Monitoring and Evaluation unit and was appointed permanently as a Power BI Specialist in January 2024. He noticed that the City’s Strategic and Corporate Performance Monitoring Systems were heavily reliant on manual processes. He proposed implementing Microsoft Power BI, an interactive data visualisation tool that transforms raw data into clear, actionable insights.
He presented the idea to his line manager, Takalani Mbara, who took it to the City Manager, Floyd Brink. Impressed by the concept, the City quickly acquired licensing for the software, and Clament was tasked with collecting data and creating a dashboard. By 2023, the system was fully integrated into the City’s network. This development has placed the City of Joburg on the technology cutting edge and a trailblazer among South African municipalities.
“Now, we use dashboards created with Power BI to track and monitor service delivery and Section 57 managers’ performance against set targets,” Clament explains.
The Microsoft Power BI system primarily serves as a platform for uploading evidence to support reported performance, allowing the City Manager and senior management to easily track performance, compare quarterly results with previous years, and to generate comprehensive reports.
The system currently tracks 56 SDBIP and 22 Section 57 managers’ key performance indicators (KPI) respectively and has significantly improved performance monitoring and reporting. The integration with Microsoft Teams further enhances accountability by maintaining a clear trail of submissions and interactions.
This system integration was also used for the Auditor-General of South Africa audit assessment preparation for the period 2022/23. “We are confident the system has assisted the City move from adverse to qualified audit finding due to the improved information management and accessing of supporting evidence for reported performance.”
“We’re striving to keep up with digital transformation developments. We can’t rely on manual processes while technology is advancing. We need to modernise our processes and data management practices to stay current and efficient,” Clament emphasises.
Clament, who hails from Limpopo, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical Science from the University of Limpopo. Outside of work, he enjoys playing soccer and video games and describes himself as an introvert.
SOURCED FROM THE CITY’S WEBSITE.
