RUFARO MAFINYANI: Governing at the speed of thought

In Pretoria, an internet of things (IoT)-enabled traffic management system detects congestion, analyses CCTV feeds, confirms accidents and automatically adjusts traffic patterns. Meanwhile, in Soweto elderly patients receive medication deliveries triggered by predictive analytics that monitor prescriptions and dispatch health workers via optimised routes.

These scenarios exemplify artificial intelligence’s (AI’s) emerging role in SA’s public sector — a transformation that is reshaping governance and service delivery. Cape Town has already implemented elements of this vision, with its Transport Management Centre using AI to monitor traffic cameras and predict congestion hotspots. 

While public discourse focuses on political and economic issues, a quieter revolution is occurring through AI integration into government operations. Unlike headline-grabbing private sector implementations, public sector AI adoption often goes unnoticed despite its profound impact on daily life. This oversight is unfortunate, as government AI applications have the potential to reach far more citizens and address fundamental service delivery challenges that affect millions of South Africans daily. 

As management philosopher Peter Drucker noted “technology is not about tools; it deals with how man works”, a principle SA institutions must embrace. Consider the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, which processes millions of applications annually. Despite improvements, manual processing still causes delays and errors. AI could transform this process through: 

• OCR technologies digitising handwritten forms, eliminating manual data entry;
• Machine learning algorithms verifying information against multiple databases simultaneously; and
• Human staff focusing on complex cases requiring judgment.

Similar transformations could benefit the department of home affairs by reducing the 13-step passport application process to a few interactions, with automated verification happening in seconds. The SA Social Security Agency could process grant applications through intelligent systems that detect fraud while expediting legitimate claims. 

Perhaps AI's most human impact will be in healthcare, where AI and IoT offer innovative solutions. For chronic medication patients, AI could track adherence remotely, predict refill needs and co-ordinate home delivery, freeing clinic capacity while ensuring consistent medication access. Predictive analytics could identify disease outbreaks before they spread widely by analysing patterns in clinic visits, medication requests and even social media signals. Real-time health system monitoring could optimise resource allocation during emergencies, ensuring critical supplies reach facilities experiencing surges in demand. 

Pilot programmes demonstrate this potential, including the Pelebox Smart Locker system and MomConnect platform, which could be enhanced with sophisticated AI capabilities. The Western Cape’s Healthcare 2030 vision already incorporates elements of these technologies, creating a blueprint for nationwide implementation. 

The fear that automation eliminates jobs misses the point: by handling routine tasks, these systems allow healthcare workers to focus on human aspects of care. Nurses freed from paperwork can spend more time with patients; pharmacists relieved of counting pills can provide more consultation; community health workers unburdened by manual data collection can serve more households. 

AI’s greatest value comes from augmenting human capabilities and redirecting efforts to higher-value activities. When document processing is automated at home affairs, officials can focus on complex cases and improving service. The Triple R Framework offers a pathway for human-centred transformation. Institutions must first recognise specific challenges, then reframe these as opportunities for AI-driven solutions, and finally reorganise workflows and structures to maximise benefits while enhancing human contributions. 

This framework moves beyond typical Western models by incorporating SA’s unique context, including infrastructure limitations and the imperative to create rather than eliminate jobs. It acknowledges the reality of uneven digital access across the country and the need for solutions that work in urban and deeply rural environments. Successful implementations must account for linguistic diversity, varying levels of digital literacy, and intermittent connectivity while still delivering transformative capabilities. 

For SA to fully capitalise on AI’s potential, two approaches are needed. First, adaptive policy frameworks must replace rigid regulations. The 2023 National Artificial Intelligence Institute of SA policy brief recommends principles-based governance focusing on outcomes rather than specific technologies. These frameworks should balance innovation with ethical considerations, addressing privacy concerns, algorithmic bias, and digital divides that could worsen existing inequalities. The Protection of Personal Information Act provides a foundation, but sector-specific guidelines for sensitive applications such as predictive policing and automated eligibility determinations are urgently needed. 

Second, public-private partnerships must evolve from traditional procurement relationships to genuine co-creation processes. Johannesburg’s Smart City initiatives demonstrate how officials, citizens, and technology providers can collaboratively design and implement solutions.  

Successful public sector AI implementations in SA share a common philosophy: augmenting human capabilities rather than replacing them. As noted in the 2022 Public Service Commission report “technology should enhance public servants’ capabilities while redirecting their focus to the uniquely human dimensions of governance and service delivery”. 

This shift from automation to augmentation represents the most promising path forward — leveraging AI to enhance capabilities while maintaining the human connection essential to effective governance. The question isn’t whether SA’s public sector will be transformed by AI — it is whether that transformation will be shaped by deliberate design or by default.  

• Mafinyani is risk advisory & financial modelling partner at DiSeFu, a specialised financial technology and risk advisory firm operating in the Sub-Saharan region.