Communications and digital technologies minister Solly Malatsi has warned that SA’s push towards digital government could deepen inequality unless affordable, meaningful internet access reaches millions of citizens who are still excluded from the digital economy.
Speaking at the fourth annual Social Media Summit, Malatsi argued that government cannot measure the success of digital transformation by the number of online services it launches if large sections of the population remain unable to access them.
"A promise made only to the connected is not a promise to the nation," he said.
The summit was convened by Decode, the Pan-African strategic communications firm, in partnership with Johannesburg Business School and endorsed by the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa.
The two-day summit, held from 8 to 9 July, brought together public sector leaders, communicators, policymakers, academics, technologists, journalists and content creators under the theme: “Reimagining citizen engagement through human intelligence + artificial intelligence."
The minister's remarks come as government accelerates plans to digitise public services through initiatives such as the proposed MyMzansi digital platform, while simultaneously pursuing broader digital public infrastructure to simplify access to government services.
Malatsi cautioned that moving services online before addressing affordability, connectivity and digital literacy risks creating what he described as a "premium service layer" for South Africans who are already digitally-connected.
"If the digital state works beautifully for those with good smartphones, affordable data, high literacy, strong connectivity, English fluency and confidence online, then we have not built a digital state. We have built a premium service layer for the already included.”
He said government must ensure digital transformation benefits citizens regardless of where they live, or how much they earn.
"It is possible to imagine a citizen having one trusted point of entry into government services. It is possible to imagine a state that uses digital public infrastructure to reduce duplication, friction and confusion."
Malatsi said this vision underpins government's MyMzansi initiative, which seeks to create a unified digital gateway for public services through digital identity, secure transactions and integrated service delivery.
However, he stressed that technology alone would not solve government service delivery challenges.
"Technology should not only make government more efficient. If done correctly, the promise is that government can be more humane."
Reality check
While acknowledging SA’s progress in expanding network coverage, Malatsi said there remains a significant gap between theoretical coverage and meaningful connectivity.
According to the minister, connectivity should be measured not only by whether networks exist, but by whether citizens can afford to use them regularly on capable devices to access education, employment opportunities, public services and markets.
Malatsi added that government must guard against "digital-first" becoming "digital-only", particularly ahead of future elections when citizens increasingly rely on digital platforms for information.
He questioned whether governments and policymakers truly hear all South Africans when using social media and online data to gauge public sentiment.
"If only the connected receive real-time, credible information, then the digital divide becomes a democratic divide.
"If only the loudest online voices shape the perception of public sentiment, then we risk mistaking visibility for representativity."
Taking responsibility
The minister also delivered a message to global social media platforms, saying government prefers responsible industry self-regulation over additional legislation, but will intervene where necessary to protect the public interest.
He said social media companies should strengthen internal governance by improving responses to harmful content, investing in online safety and ensuring their systems better reflect SA’s constitutional values and social realities.
"The best way for industry to avoid heavy-handed regulation is not to argue against regulation after harms have already occurred. It is to act responsibly enough that unnecessary regulation is not required in the first place."
Malatsi said government is not seeking unnecessary regulation that could stifle innovation or freedom of expression, but neither can it ignore online harms that undermine public trust.
"We will regulate where it is necessary. But we would much rather see platforms take responsibility before regulation becomes unavoidable."
He also urged government communicators to ensure digital engagement does not leave vulnerable communities behind, by designing services for low-data usage, communicating in multiple languages and maintaining offline communication channels where necessary.
"The true measurement of a successful power shift toward a digital state is whether it includes the citizen who has been excluded, unheard, unseen, offline, priced out, or spoken for."
Malatsi concluded that building a trusted digital society will require collaboration between government, technology platforms, civil society and citizens to ensure digital transformation remains inclusive and accountable.
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