Filing your taxes from your couch. Applying for a Smart ID at your bank. Renewing a vehicle licence online. Piece by piece, South Africa’s government is going digital — and the momentum is building, SAnews reports.
The latest step came with the Department of Home Affairs launching Phase II of its successful Trusted Employer Scheme, part of modernising the immigration system to cut red tape, attract investment and support job creation.
One trusted platform for everything
The bigger picture is the Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of Government, launched in May 2025, which unifies previously fragmented digital initiatives into a single whole-of-government vision: an inclusive, secure and people-centred digital government by 2030.
“This roadmap is government’s commitment… It sets out a focused plan to modernise how we deliver services by investing in shared systems, improving coordination and removing the barriers that make it difficult for people to get what they need. The roadmap outlines better ways to verify identity, reduce fraud, share data safely, make and receive payments and access services through a single trusted platform,” President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote in the roadmap’s foreword.
Central to the vision is the MyMzansi platform, designed as a single access point to government services and information.
Progress you can already use
The digital shift is not a distant promise — South Africans are using it today:
- SARS lets taxpayers manage their affairs through eFiling and the SARS MobiApp — submissions, queries and compliance checks without visiting a branch;
- eHomeAffairs allows much of the Smart ID and passport process to happen online, including payments and appointment bookings;
- Absa has gone live with digital Smart ID applications, joining a network of 296 participating bank branches nationwide;
- SAYouth connects young people to employment, skills development and entrepreneurial opportunities;
- NaTIS lets motorists renew vehicle licences and complete other services online.
Connecting the unconnected
Inclusion is built into the plan. Phase 2 of SA Connect, set for completion in 2025/26 according to the Budget Review, will deploy about 1 180 kilometres of fibre to extend broadband coverage to about 5.6 million households through community Wi-Fi hotspots, while State Information Technology Agency-led upgrades extend connectivity at 6 343 government facilities.
Government has committed that rural communities and vulnerable groups will continue to access services through multiple channels as digital services expand — so no one is left behind. Less paperwork, lower travel costs, stronger security and services in your pocket: the digital future of government is steadily arriving, and it is looking distinctly user-friendly.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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