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The global rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has positioned digital transformation as a key strategy for improving efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness in public service delivery. In South Africa, however, persistent service delivery protests, limited institutional capacity, and resource constraints continue to undermine effective governance, raising critical questions about the readiness and effectiveness of AI and ICT adoption in the public sector. This paper, therefore, examines the impact of AI and ICT on public service transformation in South Africa, with a focus on their potential to improve service delivery and the barriers limiting their effective implementation. Methodologically, the paper adopts a qualitative research approach based on secondary data, drawing on peer-reviewed literature, government reports, and relevant case studies on digital transformation in public administration. Through thematic synthesis, the paper analyses patterns of adoption, impact, and implementation challenges across key public service domains. The findings reveal that AI and ICT have contributed to improved e-government services, enhanced administrative efficiency, and greater transparency in selected areas of public service delivery. However, these benefits remain uneven and fragmented due to persistent challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, limited financial and human resources, resistance to change, regulatory constraints, low levels of digital literacy, and outdated legacy systems. These barriers collectively slow down system-wide digital transformation and limit the scalability of technological innovations. The paper contributes by providing a consolidated and updated synthesis of fragmented evidence on AI and ICT adoption in South Africa’s public sector, offering a clearer understanding of both progress and persistent structural constraints. It further indicates that digital transformation is not solely a technological issue but also an institutional and governance challenge. The paper recommends prioritised investment in modern ICT infrastructure, strengthened digital skills development for public servants, and the establishment of a coherent national digital transformation strategy. It further recommends simplifying procurement processes, fostering an innovation-oriented public sector culture, and strengthening regulatory and ethical governance frameworks to ensure accountability, inclusivity, and sustainable digital transformation in public service delivery.

In the digital era, public administrations face the dual challenge of modernizing internal processes while improving citizen services, amid rising expectations for transparency, accountability, and integrity. Citizens demand faster, more accessible, and more transparent services, while pressures to cut costs and boost efficiency intensify. E-government and broader digital transformation thus emerge as strategic levers to address these demands. This study aimed to assess how, and under what conditions, e-government initiatives enhance service delivery and transparency, while identifying mediating factors, including technical, organizational, and political factors. An in-depth qualitative literature review and analysis of secondary data (the UN E-Government Survey, open data indicators, and corruption perception indices) was conducted to explore these dynamics. The study followed the integrative review standards, screening the e-government adoption literature, the United Nations E-Government Survey, global benchmarking reports, and digital government evaluations published between 2010 and 2025, and using thematic coding to ensure replicability and analytic depth. The findings provide practical recommendations for policymakers and administrators to enhance service quality, transparency, and citizen engagement. The study contributes to the growing literature on public sector digitalization by synthesizing key success factors, common obstacles, and emerging trends across diverse national and cultural contexts, offering insights for effective governance in the digital age.

The desire for a more personalised between government and citizens has, according to various studies, increased over the past few years. This has prompted a growing need for citizen- and business-focused digital government. However, achieving transparent and efficient e-governance often involves crossing many hurdles, which are often unique to specific municipalities across nations. Hence, this study sought to explore the unique hurdles faced by government to gain insights on how to create a more inclusive, responsive and impactful e-government landscape that serves all stakeholders. The chief goal of the present study was to explore and analyse the challenges and barriers in implementing and utilising e-governance in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality specifically, which is a municipality that services millions of people. Factors that were explored included infrastructural readiness, institutional capacity, user engagement, and the socio-economic factors that affect both the adoption and outcomes of digital governance tools. The convergent mixed method research approach was used in this study. Survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used to collect primary data from eThekwini citizens as well municipal workers. These participants were selected using convenience and purposive sampling, for the quantitative and qualitative parts respectively. The latest version of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to descriptively analyse the quantitative data collected and thematic analyse the qualitative data. The findings reveal that both staff and citizens are relatively open to e-government services; however, there are numerous hurdles such as internet connectivity, the user interfaces, and digital literacy that need to be overcome to improve the ‘buy-in’ and usage by both staff and citizens. The study highlighted both the achievements and challenges associated with e-governance in the eThekwini Municipality. The municipality’s adoption of ICT in service delivery has yielded improvements in efficiency and accessibility for digitally connected residents, demonstrating the potential of e-governance to enhance public services. However, barriers, such as digital infrastructure gaps, organisational resistance, and socio-economic disparities, limit the full realisation of these benefits. For stakeholders to benefit maximally from e-governance there has to be increased efforts to build digital proficiency amongst citizens and staff, and more ICT infrastructure build in peri-urban communities.