Author(s)

NONHLANHLA B. C. BUTHELEZI, GEORGE O. ONATU, CLINTON AIGBAVBOA

Abstract

South African cities have made progress in the digital transformation space following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Municipalities in the Gauteng Province have explored opportunities for techno-economic acceleration and showcased intense strengths using digital technology. The exploration created opportunities for synergetic governance and connecting with provincial and national governments even though the exploration came at a cost. The challenge that remains is that the systems for dealing with municipal planning approvals processes of housing development remain fragmented with a plethora of legislative instruments that continue to contribute to the creation of inefficiencies in decision making in the housing value chain ecosystem. This paper reflects on how planning approval processes of housing development are conducted in two Gauteng cities, namely the city of Johannesburg and the city of Tshwane. Are they manually undertaken or undertaken through a digital platform and why? What are the features of the existing systems? This research is based on qualitative approach and case study design using interviews and observation in selected case study municipalities. Interviews were conducted virtually through Microsoft Teams from 1 December 2024 to 30 June 2025. The findings reveal that municipalities and sector departments at national, local and provincial levels use different systems and have not explored synergetic arrangements for monitoring planning approvals. The conclusion drawn from the findings points to a need for a framework on planning approvals.

Keywords

planning approval processes, digital transformation, economic growth, synergetic governance and disaster mitigation