Signalling digital transformation strategies in South African higher education: a scoping review

Abstract This paper examines the evolution of digital transformation strategies in South African higher education institutions based on the Times Higher Education university rankings to answer the research question: ‘How do South African HEIs frame digital transformation in their strategic documents, and how does this signalling reflect global trends and local contextual priorities?’ Strategy documents were retrieved from the websites of leading South African institutions and reviewed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews guidelines. At the end of the study period (2024), a total of twenty-three institutional documents ( n = 23) met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. These comprised four standalone information technology (IT) strategy documents ( n = 4) and nineteen institution-wide strategic plans ( n = 19). Each document represented a unique institution, and relevant IT strategy components were systematically extracted for analysis. Descriptive coding was used to summarise themes, which were subsequently mapped to ranking components. The key themes identified include digital pedagogy, user-centric technology, and the development of IT infrastructure. The study conceptualises two paradoxes - the Local-Global Paradox and the Signalling-Implementation paradox - that reveal how institutions signal digital transformation for global visibility while struggling with local equity and practical implementation. The study contributes theoretically by extending signalling theory to the analysis of digital transformation strategies, empirically by providing a Global South perspective on Higher Education Institutions’ strategy formation, and practically by highlighting gaps between strategic signalling and implementation that have implications for institutional planning and policy. Future studies should consider additional data sources such as annual budget plans, annual reports, and conducting interviews with university officials to obtain deeper insights into strategies and their implementation.