Kouga Local Municipality reinforced its commitment to smarter governance and improved service delivery when it hosted the Eastern Cape Municipal ICT Summit in Jeffreys Bay from 7 to 8 May 2026.
The summit brought together municipal leaders, ICT professionals and governance experts at Mentors Country Estate to explore how technology can strengthen local government and improve services for residents.
Municipal Leaders Focus on Digital Transformation
Held under the theme Connected, Intelligent, Secure and Citizen-Centric Municipalities, the summit attracted delegates from municipalities across the Eastern Cape.
Representatives from the Eastern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), Provincial Treasury and several ICT industry partners also attended.
Welcoming delegates, Kouga Deputy Municipal Manager Dawie de Jager said collaboration and innovation remain essential as municipalities adapt to growing service delivery demands and rapidly evolving technology.
Governance and Service Delivery Take Centre Stage
Eastern Cape COGTA Head of Department Dr Vuyo Mlokothi delivered the keynote address, highlighting the Local Government Professionalisation Framework and the importance of strengthening governance systems and institutional capacity.
Throughout the summit, delegates examined how ICT can improve governance, financial management and operational efficiency.
Discussions focused on:
- Cybersecurity resilience
- Integrated municipal systems
- ICT governance structures
- Alignment with the Municipal Standard Chart of Accounts (mSCOA)
- Protection against cyber threats, fraud and corruption
Kouga Recognised as a Digital Benchmark
A major highlight of the summit was Kouga Local Municipality’s web-based Collaborator system.
The platform supports electronic records management, correspondence tracking, workflow management, council agenda automation and policy management.
Kouga Showcases Smart Technology
Kouga also demonstrated how artificial intelligence is being used within the system to improve administrative efficiency and strengthen records management processes.
As a result, Kouga was selected as a benchmark municipality for its electronic document management system.
Challenges and Opportunities Identified
Delegates acknowledged several challenges facing municipalities across the province.
These include:
- Limited funding for ICT modernisation
- Fragmented digital systems
- Cybersecurity vulnerabilities
- Digital skills shortages
Participants agreed that strong ICT governance, integrated systems and sustained investment are essential to building efficient and citizen-focused municipalities.
Industry experts from organisations such as ISACA South Africa, Orion Cyber and Konecta shared insights into digital transformation, smart city development, governance frameworks and risk management.
Action Plan for Future Innovation
The second day of the summit focused on systems integration and compliance matters.
Topics included records management, free basic services administration, municipal human resources planning and e-recruitment systems.
The summit concluded with a programme of action aimed at strengthening ICT governance, improving institutional coordination and accelerating digital innovation across Eastern Cape municipalities.
Kouga Local Municipality reiterated its commitment to using technology to build smarter, more efficient and more responsive local government for residents.
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