Towards a Smart City Model for South African Metropolitan Municipalities : the case of Gauteng-based Metropolitan Municipalities

Abstract

Although some studies have shown that there are benefits that a developing country such as South Africa can accrue as a result of embracing the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Internet of Things and information and communication technology, there are a number of challenges facing cities in this regard. These challenges include outdated ICT-related infrastructure, limited technological expertise, and the high costs involved in new or revised technologies. There is also increasing pressure to involve the community in city decision-making processes as well as to provide accurate, up-to-date information to other government institutions, communities and city stakeholders on a regular basis. South African cities are currently en-route toward smart technology and 4IR readiness, but much still needs to be done to be on par with investment-competing cities around the globe. There is a dire need for cities in the country to invest in ICT infrastructure, such as broadband to improve connectivity, as well as to capitalise on human capital for the required ICT skills. This requires political will, a common approach, and a shared vision. A model is thus required to incorporate these dimensions, making it possible for cities to follow a clear pathway towards e-readiness. Such a model should also make it possible to assess risks, such as Eskom power disruptions, data security, and privacy concerns of citizens. The model furthermore should foster the Internet of things (IoT) functionality and ensure that city management information data is efficiently and accurately collected, stored, distributed and analysed for better city governance. Smart cities should be able to generate data continuously from a number of applications that are deployed throughout cities, such as sensors, cognitive radio technologies (5G), traffic information, e-health, IoT and environment monitoring amongst others. The problem that this study investigated is the lack of a uniform approach or model in applying smart city technologies by metropolitan municipalities. A preliminary survey of existing smart city readiness models revealed that existing models are designed by particular countries and cities under unique circumstances. Furthermore, cities apply their own models and approaches in an uncoordinated and silo fashion. This causes city governance related challenges, such as limited interoperability of systems and hampered sharing of statistics, data and information. Joint planning, strategic programme alignment,

and general cross-border coordination are furthermore problematic, especially for the three Gauteng-based metropolitan municipalities which are located in close geographical proximity to the Gauteng City Region (GCR). An integrated smart city model is thus required to enhance a uniform approach towards e-readiness and transformation required to adapt to 4IR demands. The primary objective of this study was towards the development of such a smart city model for metropolitan municipalities. This study looked at the meta-theoretical and theoretical underpinnings of smart cities, lessons and best practice approaches and praxis from leading international smart cities, as well as statutory and regulatory frameworks governing smart city applications. The study also incorporated opinions and perspectives of key stakeholders and role-players in the smart city arena. The aim of the study was to ensure that municipalities are informed and guided by a model in their endeavours to implement smart city initiatives.