Abstract:
Literature tells how well and successful e-governance, or e-service, and many more
other names, given to the process whereby government services are provided to
the citizens via electronic means in developed countries. Literature accounts for
developing countries such as the USA, UK to name but a few, which have made
headway in implementing e-governance. The general assumption in the current
literature is that Africa, and Sub-Saharan African countries in particular should
replicate what developed countries such as the UK and USA have done in order to
achieve the same results. The author of this article challenges these widely accepted
views by showing that the reported success of e-governance in developed countries
has been the result of widespread availability of computers and of high levels of
computer literacy which are not available in most, if not all Sub-Saharan African
(SSA) countries. Thus the researcher asks the question: Given the socio-economic
conditions in which the majority of people in rural areas of Limpopo live, what
practical options of ICT can be used to extend e-services/e-governance to them and
the people living in similar socio-economic conditions elsewhere in Sub-Saharan
Africa? The research design comprised a critical literature analysis and assessment
of the available publications on the topic at the time of writing.
