Beyond IT — why digital governance is Africa’s ultimate leadership challenge

As the first quarter of the 21st century passes, it is becoming increasingly clear that Africa’s ability to catch up with the rest of the world will depend on how effectively we embrace and shape our digital future.

Our economic growth, the resilience of our institutions, and the hopes of our citizens will all be shaped by the choices we make now about how we understand and govern digital technology. If we fail to take this responsibility seriously, we risk locking ourselves into dependency that could persist for generations. This is a responsibility we cannot defer to future leaders, administrators and policymakers.

The urgency of the challenge is most evident in the growing threat of cybercrime. Global losses from cybercrime were projected to reach around $10.5-trillion by 2025, a cost that exceeds the total government spending of nearly every country and matches the combined budgets of the world’s largest economies. According to industry research, global cybercrime costs were already about $3-trillion in 2015, rising to approximately $6-trillion by 2021 and if unchecked, will continue to climb.

It should be stated clearly that the consequences of cybercrime and attacks are not solely financial. Cybercrime can disrupt essential services such as hospitals, power grids and public transport systems and destroy small businesses, which are the backbone of many African economies.

Large firms can lose access to customer and supplier networks and, in extreme cases, these disruptions can contribute to loss of livelihoods and other deep social harm. If we do not act urgently, this problem will escalate from occasional threats into a systemic crisis that undermines trust in our public institutions.

Africa already has examples of protection and adaptation. In South Africa, the private sector, especially banks and large enterprises, has developed robust systems to secure digital networks. These systems are not perfect, but they are significantly ahead of what many public-sector institutions currently deliver. The concern is that cybercriminals do not attack the strongest institutions. They look for the weakest links, often smaller local municipalities and departments that have not invested in digital governance and adequate digital protection.

Our vulnerability in this regard is neither hypothetical nor confined to cybercriminals; it possesses tangible implications that digital solutions could mitigate. In South Africa, for example, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) disclosed that criminal syndicates embezzled in excess of R2-billion from Tembisa Hospital’s procurement mechanisms through fraudulent bids and fictitious quotes.

The SIU found that the irregular activities encompassed thousands of purchase orders and hundreds of suppliers, exemplifying how inadequate controls can be exploited to divert resources away from the provision of healthcare services to communities.

Governance challenge

This is not simply a technical problem; it is a governance challenge. Our public servants, most of whom are hard-working individuals who simply want to do their jobs to the best of their ability, deserve to be trained and equipped to halt those who seek to exploit the public sector for personal gain.

Across the continent, leaders often lack the knowledge to make informed decisions about technology, cybersecurity and digital governance. Bridging this gap is not about transforming every decision-maker into an IT specialist. It is about equipping leaders with the understanding to ask the right questions, to see the risks and opportunities that digital technologies create and to apply frameworks that protect citizens and deliver public value.

Despite this potential, the continent still faces a critical deficit in digital literacy and governance skills, especially among public sector leaders who must make policy and procurement decisions without a foundation in how digital systems work.

To address this gap, the Wits School of Governance, through its Tayarisha Centre on Digital Governance, and the university’s professional development arm, Wits Plus, have developed a fully online short course that equips public sector leaders and employees across Africa with the knowledge to navigate digital transformation effectively.

The course, Data and Digital Governance in the African Public Sector, provides civil servants and managers who are not IT specialists with the fundamental language and frameworks they need to make sound decisions through an easy-to-navigate, fully self-study programme.

Participants learn to anticipate technological change, consider the ethical implications of digital systems, and evaluate the social and economic impacts of new platforms before adoption. They develop the mindset to ask the right questions early, avoiding costly mistakes after systems have already been procured or deployed.

When digital governance skills are widely in place, Africa can begin to realise broader development goals. Leaders who understand technology can reduce inefficiency, curb corruption and build public trust.

Africa’s future is at a crossroads. By investing in digital literacy and governance, we can transform public institutions, unlock economic innovation and empower citizens. Africa must act decisively to ensure that leaders are equipped to harness technology for good and to deliver on the promise of the century. The potential is immense, and the time to act is now. DM

Dr Rekgotsofetse Chikane is a senior lecturer at the Wits School of Governance and a political commentator, activist and the author of Breaking a Rainbow, Building a Nation: The Politics behind the #MustFall Movements.