Digital curation of archives through free open-source software in South Africa

Purpose Although the cabinet of South Africa has shown support for enacting a policy on free and open-source software (FOSS), its adoption and implementation by public entities are lagging. A literature review signalled a similar trend of low to no existence of FOSS in the sphere of digital curation of archives in South Africa, as proprietary software continues to be the most popular choice. This study aims to investigate the digital curation of archives through FOSS in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study triangulated interviews with document analyses to investigate the digital curation of archives through FOSS in South Africa. Interview data were collected from records managers and chief information officers from seven purposively selected public entities that have implemented electronic content management. Data were analysed and presented thematically with the use of tables and verbatim quotations, as in line with the objectives of the study. Findings The main finding shows that proprietary software continues to dominate the digital curation of archives within national government departments in South Africa. This trend persists even among departments that profess knowledge of and acknowledge the benefits associated with FOSS implementation for digital archive curation. Research limitations/implications The findings of this study may provide a basis for public entities, including the national archives, to take the necessary steps to ensure the effective implementation of FOSS in the digital curation of archives. Originality/value The study used constructs from the digital curation centre lifecycle model. It also puts forth strategies that can be used to implement FOSS for the digital curation of archives.