South Africa’s Gauteng Provincial Government has launched a real-time digital dashboard to monitor the performance of all eleven municipalities within the province. The Gauteng Smart City Performance Monitor tracks key indicators including financial management, governance, infrastructure delivery, and disaster preparedness.

The tool is a central component of the Local Government Turnaround Strategy (LGTS) adopted in October 2024. It integrates various technology platforms such as CCTV networks, the LIMIT land invasion monitoring system, and smart water management tools. The provincial government stated the system is designed to provide residents with access to municipal data to improve accountability in service delivery.

Recent data from the provincial Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) department indicates that resolved audit findings increased to 55% in the 2024/25 period, up from 35% the previous year. Staffing levels for senior management also rose to 86% by March 2026. However, financial challenges persist, with municipal debt reaching R173.3 billion and Eskom-related debt rising to R31.27 billion.

Gauteng is the smallest, richest, and most populous of South Africa’s nine provinces. Encompassing the country financial capital Johannesburg and the country’s administrative capital, Pretoria. The country’s largest township, Soweto, is also within the province.

The dashboard aims to address 13 priority challenges identified during the State of the Province Address. These include reducing non-revenue water losses and accelerating infrastructure investment through data-driven interventions.

“What we are doing through our Intergovernmental Relations structures is precisely to ensure greater integration and coordination,” said Jacob Mamabolo, Gauteng COGTA MEC. He added that the programmes are intended to deliver long-term solutions to service delivery constraints.