e-Service Delivery and People-Centric Development in the Digital Age: A Case of Rural South Africa

This paper explores the role of ICT proliferation in rural development, specifically in terms of improving public services within the South African rural context. The South African setting provided an opportunity to reflect on a people-centric approach that prioritizes social inclusion and public participation to balance a local government landscape historically skewed against rural areas. Interviews were conducted in rural municipalities to determine the development priorities of households and the impact of ICTs on rural development. The findings highlight that the economics of service delivery tend to favour service providers and those who are socio-economically advantaged. This results in varying benefits, particularly for service consumers. Affordable, user-friendly, and accessible technologies, particularly mobile phones, mobile-based applications, and mass media, primarily functioned as information disseminators, repositories of knowledge, and communication tools for marginalized rural service consumers.