ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain. Cities
Sec. Innovation and Governance
Implementation of Digital Governance to Enhance Oversight in Local Municipalities
1. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
2. University of Johannesburg, School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Abstract
Digital governance is increasingly promoted as a response to persistent accountability and oversight deficits in South African municipalities, yet empirical evidence on its effectiveness remains fragmented. This study addresses this gap through a PRISMA-guided systematic review examining three questions: which digital governance interventions are implemented and with what effects, through which institutional mediators these interventions shape oversight outcomes, and under what conditions digital tools enhance accountability. The review synthesizes evidence from 20 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2025 using thematic analysis across metropolitan, local, and rural contexts. The findings reveal a central paradox. Although municipalities have deployed diverse digital interventions, including revenue management systems, real-time dashboards, and open data platforms, oversight outcomes vary sharply across institutional contexts rather than by technological sophistication. Metropolitan municipalities demonstrate measurable gains in financial transparency and oversight efficiency, whereas rural and under-resourced municipalities face persistent barriers associated with infrastructure deficits, capacity constraints, and weak enforcement. The review establishes that digital governance primarily magnifies existing institutional conditions rather than serving as an autonomous driver of reform. The study advances a shift from treating technology as a solution to treating it as an enabler and provides evidence-based insights to strengthen the institutional ecosystems underpinning accountable municipal governance.
Summary
Keywords
accountability, citizen engagement, digital governance, e-government, Local Government, Municipalities, oversight, Service delivery
Received
26 September 2025
Accepted
11 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Zvaita (PhD) and Shava. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Elvin Shava
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