Preview

Navigating ict governance in South Africa’s provincial administrations ‒ insights from the GITO at the offices of the premier

https://doi.org/10.21122/2309-4923-2025-3-17-28

Abstract

Effective ICT governance is essential in the public sector to drive digital transformation and improve service delivery. This research investigates the corporate governance of ICT Policy Framework (CGICTPF) and Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and State Information Technology Agency (SITA) Act governs the operational activities and strategic directions of Government Information Technology Officers (GITOs) in Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Free State provincial administrations in South Africa. Using a comparative case study, the research draws on policy analysis and interviews to reveal governance obstacles in procurement and executive ICT engagement. KwaZulu-Natal shows progress due to strong leadership, while Eastern Cape and Free State face delays from compliance-driven cultures and bureaucracy. The study urges a balance between regulation and agility, recommending GITO empowerment through decentralized procurement and leadership development. It advances ICT governance theory by exposing multi-level implementation challenges.

About the Authors

A. Latchu
University of South Africa
South Africa

Ashley Latchu –
PhD candidate.

Florida



S. Singh
University of South Africa
South Africa

Shawren Singh –
PhD, is an associate professor and Head of Department of the Graduate Centre for Management at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, he was the Chair of Information Systems in the School of Computing.

Florida



References

1. Abdelhakim M, Abdeldayem MM, Aldulaimi SH. Information Technology Adoption Barriers in Public Sector. 2022 ASU International Conference in Emerging Technologies for Sustainability and Intelligent Systems (ICETSIS). Manama, Bahrain; 2022. pp. 355–360. DOI: 10.1109/ICETSIS55481.2022.9888805

2. Ajam T, Fourie DJ. Public Financial Management Reform in South African Provincial Basic Education Departments. Public Administration and Development. 2016;36(4):263–282. DOI: 10.1002/pad.1776

3. Aryatama S, Miswan M, Fahriyah F, Pribadi T, Suacana IWG. Enhancing Governance Efficiency through Digital Transformation in Public Services: Lessons from Global Practices. Global International Journal of Innovative Research. 2024;2(5):1019–1027. DOI: 10.59613/global.v2i5.171

4. Azevedo A, Almeida AH. Grasp the Challenge of Digital Transition in SMEs — A Training Course Geared towards Decision-Makers. Education Sciences. 2021;11(4):151. DOI: 10.3390/educsci11040151

5. Boz M, Simsek I. Analysis of Education Management Information Systems of the Ministry of National Education in Terms of Interoperability. Journal of Qualitative Research in Education. 2022;22(32). DOI: 10.14689/enad.32.1702

6. Dagada R, Eloff MM, Venter LM. Too Many Laws But Very Little Progress! Is South African Highly Acclaimed Information Security Legislation Redundant? Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Information Warfare and Security. 2009.pp. 327–346. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220803322_Too_Many_Laws_But_Very_Little_Progress_Is_South_African_Highly_Acclaimed_Information_Security_Legislation_Redundant

7. DPSA. Implementation Guide for Corporate Governance of Information and Communication Technology Policy Framework. 2014. Available at: https://www.dpsa.gov.za/dpsa2g/documents/psictm/2014/CGICTPF%20Implementation%20Guideline.pdf

8. Ferguson CS. Assessing the KING IV Corporate Governance Report in relation to business continuity and resilience. Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning. 2019;13(2):174-185. DOI: 10.69554/SWVZ5719

9. Folorunso A, Mohammed V, Wada I, Samuel B. The impact of ISO security standards on enhancing cybersecurity posture in organizations. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews. 2024;24(1):2582–2595. DOI: 10.30574/wjarr.2024.24.1.3169

10. Gabara N. GITOC remains govts crucial ICT support component. 2023. Available at: https://www.dpsa.gov.za/thepublicservant/2023/03/02/gitoc-remains-govts-crucial-ict-support-component/

11. Helmuzar M, Yasirandi R, Utomo RG. Analysis and design of it procurement company enterprise architecture using TOGAF Architecture Development Method (case study: PT Mitra Telematika Utama). JIPI. Jurnal Ilmiah Penelitian dan Pembelajaran Informatika. 2022;7(4). DOI: 10.29100/jipi.v7i4.3247

12. Huygh T, Steuperaert D, De Haes S, Joshi A. The Role of Compliance Requirements in IT Governance Implementation: An Empirical Study Based on COBIT 2019. Proceedings of the 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). 2022. pp. 6656–6665. DOI: 10.24251/HICSS.2022.806

13. ISACA. COBIT Framework: Governance and management objectives. Information Systems Audit and Control Association. Available at: https://www.isaca.org/resources/cobit

14. Jaffe E. How Estonia became a global model for e-government. Sidewalk Talk. 2016, June 29. Available at: https://medium.com/sidewalk-talk/how-estonia-became-a-global-model-for-e-government-c12e5002d818

15. Karataş MH, Çakir H. A Systematic Literature Review on IT Governance Mechanisms and Frameworks. Journal of Learning and Teaching in Digital Age. 2023;9(1):88–101. DOI: 10.53850/joltida.1300262

16. Ke W, Wei KK. Successful e-government in Singapore. Communications of the ACM. 2004;47(6),95–99. DOI: 10.1145/990680.99068

17. Kim DH, Lemak C, Jones D, Pena D. Evolving role of the health system CIO: perspectives from 33 health systems. BMJ Leader Published Online First. 2024. DOI: 10.1136/leader-2023-000969

18. Manda MI. Power, politics, and the institutionalisation of information systems for promoting digital transformation in the public sector: A case of the South African’s government digital transformation journey. Information Polity. 2022;27(3):311–329. DOI: 10.3233/ip-200233

19. Mathase E, Phahlane M, Ochara MN. Review of IT Governance Frameworks Implementation in the Context of the South African Public Sector. Proceedings of the IEEE Open Innovations Conference (OI). Cape Town, South Africa; 2019. pp. 351–355. DOI: 10.1109/OI.2019.8908178

20. Muthien Y. Public service reform: Key challenges of execution. The Strategic Review for Southern Africa. 2014;36(2). DOI: 10.35293/srsa.v36i2.173

21. Mzekandaba S. “Deliberate” manual systems at SITA prone to manipulation. ITWeb. 2024, February 19. Available at: https://www.itweb.co.za/article/deliberate-manual-systems-at-sita-prone-to-manipulation/mQwkoM6YRzp73r9A

22. Nengovhela NR. The Performance of Government Information Technology Officers in E-government Policy Implementation: Doctoral dissertation. University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Public and Development Management. 2012. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12447

23. Nest Van der DP, Thornhill C, Jager J. Audit committees and accountability in the South African public sector. Journal of Public Administration. 2008;43(4). https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC51662

24. Nokele SK. Context and Realities of Policy Implementation in South Africa: Quo Vadis. American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation. 2022;1(6):76–81. DOI: 10.54536/ajmri.v1i6.898

25. Nxozi M, Flowerday S. IT Governance Adoption and Use by State-owned Entities in South Africa: A Public Administration Perspective. Interdisciplinary Research in Technology and Management. 1st Edition. CRC Press; 2021. pp. 181–187. DOI: 10.1201/9781003202240-29

26. OECD. Digital Government Index: 2019 results. OECD Public Governance Policy Papers. Paris: OECD Publishing; 2020;3. DOI: 10.1787/4de9f5bb-en

27. Phakathi M. The causes and the resolution of conflict in local-provincial intergovernmental relations: the case study of OSS in KwaZulu-Natal. Journal of Gender Information and Development in Africa. 2020;9(1):131–155. DOI: 10.31920/2050-4284/2020/9n1a7

28. Suresh N, Varalakshmi T, Chand MS. IT Governance Framework Ensuring Effective Management and Compliance. International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering and Management (IRJAEM). 2024;2(5):1627–1632. DOI: 10.47392/irjaem.2024.0227

29. Walt Vander T, Von Solms SH, Coetsee DWA. The institutionalisation of political and corporate governance of information and communication technology in the public service of South Africa. 2014 IST-Africa Conference Proceedings. Pointe aux Piments, Mauritius; 2014. pp. 1-10. DOI: 10.1109/istafrica.2014.6880596

30. Yin RK. Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. Sixth edition. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Incorporated; 2018. 319 p.


Review

For citations:


Latchu A., Singh S. Navigating ict governance in South Africa’s provincial administrations ‒ insights from the GITO at the offices of the premier. «System analysis and applied information science». 2025;(3):17-28. https://doi.org/10.21122/2309-4923-2025-3-17-28

Views: 213


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.


ISSN 2309-4923 (Print)
ISSN 2414-0481 (Online)