Shawren Singh

An Overview of Internet Developments and their Impact on E-Government in South Africa

The usage of the internet has grown over recent years in South Africa but at a very slow rate. This is the result of several challenges facing the growth of the Internet in South Africa. These challenges are mostly related to the lack of infrastructure for the Internet, high cost of computer technology and service provider challenges. The paper provides an overview of the Internet usage and its impact on E-Government in South Africa. It examines regulatory issues pertaining to the Internet. It also examines Internet growth in the business and government sectors. In the government sector, the Cape Online Strategy, is an initiative by the provincial government of the Western Cape in SA, is an example of a global trend towards greater levels of interactivity between government and citizens. This initiative is an excellent example of how Web-based solutions can be used to deliver certain services to citizens. Another excellent example is an E-justice initiative undertaken by the Department of Justice. The initiative aims at promoting a more efficient system of Justice in SA. The paper also provides an overview of the challenges to Internet adoption in South Africa.

d-Government management — The use of limited resources

The South African government has actively been using digital government (d-government) as a means to become more effective and efficient. However, within an environment of shrinking and limited resources, d-government initiatives face several challenges. The purpose of this research is to develop a better understanding of some of the issues the affect d-government resource management within the South African government. This is important because there are increasing calls by citizens and NGOs that government must manage state resources more efficiently. This study is qualitative in nature and primary data in the form of interviews were collected from 36 South African senior civil servants in national government, these civil servants are key stakeholders to the successful implementation and use of d-government systems. The interview data was analyzed using principles of content and interpretive analysis. The analysis provided a deeper understanding of some of the issues that affect d-Government initiatives and resulted in the development of a theoretical conjecture. These issues relate to challenges regarding budget restrictions; problems regarding resource constraints and problems regarding the role of research and development. The practical implications of this research are that d-Government champions develop a better understanding of the types of issues that affect resource management in d-Government initiatives.