Digital maturity as AI governance pathways: public sector challenges and opportunities in South Africa

In the three decades since the dawn of inclusive democracy, the South African government has grappled with how to transform the country economically and societally. The long history of Apartheid has meant that the country’s developmental trajectory has been lopsided, contributing to a growing bureaucratic stagnation that has hampered the efficiency of the public service. Implementing advanced technologies has been suggested as a viable way to address the problems of insufficient service delivery and inefficiencies in the public sector (Manda & Backhouse, 2018). This chapter examines how South Africa can advance along a digital maturity index to effectively leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for improved public sector governance while addressing unique contextual challenges such as the unequal distribution of resources, including the absence of hard and soft infrastructure. South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation’s Research, Development and Innovation Roadmap emphasizes that the pursuit of a National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy should be anchored on AI infrastructure to bolster economic competitiveness and socioeconomic impact. The roadmap outlines a strategy to integrate AI into public services such as healthcare, education, and government operations, aiming to enhance efficiency and address local needs. Despite the enabling AI policy frameworks, South Africa struggles to harness AI fully for effective e-government initiatives. This chapter argues that AI governance involves optimization of the digitalization of public sector processes. Doing so details an examination of South Africa’s digital maturity and how they could position strategies for implementing AI solutions and governance environment by creating an effective regulatory framework.