The Role of E-Government as Enabler of Good Governance for Socio-Economic Development in South Africa

Abstract

The study explores the role of e-government as an enabler of good governance and socio-economic development in South Africa. The term ‘good governance addresses pertinent global issues that confront humanity due to its close relationship with several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pertaining to poverty, good health, well-being, inequality, strong institutions, and economic progress. Electronic government, often known as e-Government, is now a widespread phenomenon and is regarded as a tool to improve the efficiency of public service delivery in administration. Studies demonstrated that e-Government is a facilitator and an enabler of Good Governance. This study indicates that if the e-Government concept is properly implemented, South Africa’s democracy may leverage its transformative force of it to the advantage of the national government, private sector, and populace. The country requires a competent and efficient state administration for economic and social growth. As a small nation like South Africa faces substantial development issues related to racial, gender, and wealth inequality. The prospects for effective economic engagement and social development are limited by income and information poverty, but they can be addressed by governmental policy and other e-development activities. However, achieving good governance remains a constant challenge for many nations. We continue to explore how the adoption and integration of ICT in political regimes influence the connection between e-government and good governance. The study is qualitative in nature and primarily relies on secondary data that is available in various databases using the advanced search of baseline data.