Mmabatho: North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi announced that the provincial government is operating on a 'modern digital foundation built for the future'. He made this statement while outlining progress in the province's digital transformation programme during a media briefing at Mmabatho Palms Hotel.
According to South African Government News Agency, the province has delivered on commitments made during the State of the Province Address earlier this year, with key digital systems becoming operational on 1 April 2026. This marks a significant shift from manual, paper-based processes to a fully integrated and automated administrative system anchored by the SmartGov platform, now live across all provincial departments.
Departments are currently undergoing a structured onboarding process, which includes training officials and aligning internal workflows with the new system. This phased rollout is designed to ensure stability while gradually eliminating manual processes and embedding digital operations into daily government functions.
SmartGov is set to automate a range of administrative and procurement processes, such as submissions, approvals, invoice tracking, and contract management. Mokgosi stated that this would improve efficiency, enhance transparency and accountability, and create a more predictable environment for businesses, especially small and emerging enterprises seeking government opportunities.
The introduction of a real-time monitoring and evaluation capability within the Office of the Premier will integrate reporting across provincial departments, state-owned entities, and municipalities. The system will provide live performance data via interactive dashboards, enabling quicker decision-making, improved oversight, and early identification of risks.
The transformation extends beyond administrative systems to the province's broader digital infrastructure, including migration from legacy platforms to Microsoft 365 and adoption of the Microsoft Azure cloud environment. These changes support a more collaborative and mobile workforce while ensuring scalability and resilience for future demands.
Cybersecurity measures have been enhanced through advanced endpoint protection, with all implementations carried out under State Information Technology Agency frameworks to ensure compliance with national regulations.
Beyond government operations, the initiative aims to drive economic inclusion and skills development through partnerships with Microsoft and Boxfusion. These partnerships will offer training programmes for public servants, support local ICT businesses, and provide digital skills development for young people at no cost to the province.
Looking ahead, the next phase will focus on expanding broadband infrastructure to connect government institutions, schools, healthcare facilities, and communities. Mokgosi stated that this would extend digital transformation beyond government systems and into the broader society, forming the backbone of a 'Smart Province.'
He described the initiative as the foundation of a North West Digital Government Platform, integrating systems, data, infrastructure, and connectivity into a unified ecosystem aimed at improving service delivery and responsiveness. 'The North West Provincial Government is not only envisioning a digital future, we are actively building it, we are implementing it, and we are delivering it,' Mokgosi said.
