Is South Africa truly ready for smart cities full of bullet trains and flying taxis?
According to Sunil Geness, director of global government affairs & CSR for Africa at SAP, smart cities hold enormous potential for improving the quality of life for millions of South Africans.
“Smart cities leverage technology to bring improvements to every aspect of the citizen experience, from affordable housing to education and work opportunities. With a fast-growing population and high levels of development, South Africa is well positioned to take advantage of the benefits of smart cities to improve the living conditions of millions of citizens.”
A smart city uses technology and other innovative means to improve the quality of life for citizens, deliver efficient services, and meets the needs of current and future generations as they relate to economic, social and environmental aspects.
“Smart cities enable better management through more effective data-driven decision-making, reduced environmental impact, expanded opportunities for economic development, safer communities, and general enhancements in how communities and municipalities collaborate,” explains Geness. “South Africans could benefit greatly from the advantages of smart cities, especially as we move to more sustainable ways of living in light of the growing impacts of climate change.”
Smart city policy takes shape
The concept of smart cities have featured regularly in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s speeches over the past few years. In 2020, the President announced the R84-billion Mooikloof Mega City project east of Pretoria, with plans to establish up to 50 000 sectional titles units in a first phase of development. A separate smart city is also in the works at Lanseria north of Johannesburg, as well as two others, one in the Eastern Cape and another near the Kruger National Park.
The Department of Cooperative Governance also published the South African Smart Cities Framework in 2021. The framework, which was developed in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, sets out guidelines for what a smart city means in the South African context.
Bongani Mgayi, executive head of marketing at Zimele Technologies, a specialist technology implementation partner operating in the utilities, public sector, retail, real estate and facilities sectors, says South Africa’s metros have already made significant investments in building smart city capabilities. “Cities throughout the country are making vital investments into smart city capabilities by integrating technology into the fabric of service delivery and the citizen experience.”
Enhancing infrastructure, revenue management
Mgayi notes that much of the smart technology deployments within SA’s metros have focused on improving water and energy management, which have traditionally been key revenue streams for cities.
“The rollout of advanced metering infrastructure that measures, collects and analyses energy usage has enabled the real-time data collection and management of utilities, leading to improved energy distribution and lower costs for metros. Smart prepayment of utilities has also improved municipal cash flow through better billing and revenue collection, contributing to the financial sustainability within our key urban areas. In addition, such interventions keep customers engaged, informed and in control of their consumption and payment for utility-related services, leading to direct improvements in the citizen experience.”
Looking ahead, Mgayi notes huge scope for greater smart technology deployments within the country’s metros to support service delivery across a range of applications. “Chatbots and online platforms are increasingly favoured for customer service and could drive greater efficiency within metro call centres. Revenue collection can be enhanced through payment gateway integration and wallet-based platforms, while IoT sensor integration could enable predictive maintenance through early detection of potential faults. In addition, the use of drones could improve safety and security efforts, and can already be seen in some parts of Cape Town.”
Geness notes that one of the important provisions in the Smart Cities Framework is that the technologies used must not further marginalise the poor and vulnerable groups, highlighting the need for human-centred technology deployment. “Digital literacy is an essential component of any smart city and should be a top priority for local and provincial government,” says Geness. “Care should also be taken to ensure that the technologies enable instead of hamper human development, for example the use of artificial intelligence as a value-driver, not a means of replacing jobs.”