South Africa’s Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, has criticised the government’s slow implementation of technology policies, saying repeated workshops, summits and road maps have failed to translate into timely action.
Godongwana spoke at the Development Bank of Southern Africa’s annual results presentation in Johannesburg, where he highlighted delays in the country’s digital migration programme and the absence of a national artificial intelligence strategy.
“Sometimes in South Africa we’ve got a meeting. We say we run a workshop, we run that workshop. Others will run a workshop in provinces,” he said.
“The culmination of the workshop will be a summit, and then a summit develops a road map, and then we go back to provinces and design strategies for implementing the road map. Then there are yet other workshops. The effect of it: we don’t deliver on time.”
He cited South Africa’s digital migration programme as an example of delays in implementing government policy.
“We still have not moved on digital migration,” Godongwana said, referring to the long-running transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting.
The programme was originally scheduled for completion in December 2010 but remains unfinished, with no confirmed national analogue switch-off date.
Five provinces have so far been switched off, while Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and Eastern Cape remain outstanding.
Godongwana also raised concerns about South Africa’s lack of a national AI strategy, citing the World Bank’s World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence.
He pointed to Rwanda as an example of a country that had moved faster in developing an AI strategy.
“Some of these things are a function of leadership. You may disagree with President Kagame, but he is a leader. He can get things done,” he said, referring to Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
The World Bank report, published in August, found that only one of 25 low-income countries, Rwanda, had a dedicated national AI strategy as of June 2026.
South Africa was not included among the more than 80 countries identified by the World Bank as having a national AI strategy or dedicated policy by that period.
See also: Nigerian Students to Get 100MB Free Data Daily From October 1
South Africa’s draft AI policy was gazetted in April but withdrawn 16 days later after fabricated sources were discovered in its reference list. A revised draft is expected to go to Cabinet in November, with public consultation planned for January 2027.
Godongwana also raised concerns about the fragmented allocation of responsibility for technology-related issues within government.
“One department deals with cybersecurity, another leads something else,” he said, calling for a more coordinated approach.
His comments came as the DBSA reported a record net profit of R7.8bn for the 2026 financial year, representing a 47 per cent increase, while total assets reached R130.5bn.
The bank also reported disbursements of R20.7bn during the year, exceeding its R15.5bn target.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
