Mangai, Mary S.Ayodele, Austin A.2026-01-272026-01-272025-12-04Mangai, M.S. & Ayodele, A.A. (2025). Reimagining Public Service Delivery: Digitalising Initiatives for Accountability and Efficiency. Administrative Sciences, 15(12), 477. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15120477.2076-3387 (online)10.3390/admsci15120477http://hdl.handle.net/2263/107580DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The data presented in this study are available in [Scopus] at [https://www.scopus.com/freelookup/form/author.uri (accessed date 5 May 2025)]. These data were derived from the following resources available in the public domain: [https://www.prisma-statement.org/prisma-2020-flow-diagram (accessed date 3 June 2025)].This study examines the critical success factors for digital transformation in South Africa’s public services, where systemic inefficiency, corruption, and limited transparency have eroded public trust. Using a PRISMA-guided systematic literature review of 64 studies, this study synthesises evidence on digital governance challenges and opportunities through the lenses of New Public Management and Digital-Era Governance, complemented by value co-creation and a citizen-centred design. The analysis shows that transformation efforts often falter because of infrastructure deficits, bureaucratic resistance, and policy misalignment. Successful initiatives rest on five mutually reinforcing pillars: (1) coherent policy and regulatory frameworks; (2) equitable and reliable digital infrastructure; (3) committed leadership with sustained institutional capacity-building; (4) meaningful citizen engagement via co-design and co-production; and (5) data-enabled accountability and process efficiency. Persistent barriers include disparities in access and digital skills across municipalities, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and legacy–system incompatibilities that impede end-to-end integration. This study proposes an implementation framework that aligns technical solutions with governance reforms, such as depoliticised administration, performance-based accountability, and localised service customization to enhance operational efficiency and rebuild trust. It concludes that bridging the digital divide and embedding context-sensitive, participatory, and ethically grounded approaches are essential for sustainable digital transformation in South Africa’s unequal socioeconomic landscape.en© 2025 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.Digital transformationPublic service deliverye-GovernanceCitizen engagementDigital divideAccountability and efficiencySystematic literature reviewSouth Africa (SA)Article