Jeanette Morwane, Chief Director – Emerging Technologies and Digital Innovations, Digital Society and Economy, Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), South Africa

1) How do you use your role to ensure that technology and policy are truly inclusive?

As a Chief Director of Emerging Technologies and Digital Innovations at the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) in South Africa, my key role is to oversee the adoption of new and emerging technologies by society and business through developing enabling policies and programs.

Within the public sector, I promote culture of innovation to drive digital transformation in delivering services to citizens. 

2) What’s a moment in your career when you saw firsthand how technology or a new policy changed a citizen’s life for the better?

I led the digital government program where we developed a National e-Government Portal and digitised 134 government services that can be accessed by our citizens.

Through the portal, unemployed youth could apply for vacancies online, while high school learners who lost their matric certificates could apply to have them re-issued and apply for scholarships to study further, for example.

3) What was the most impactful project you worked on this year, and how did you measure its success in building trust and serving the needs of the public?

The most impactful project I worked on this year was leading the work for G20 South Africa Presidency through the Digital Economy Working Group, of building sustainable ecosystems for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to grow.

Part of the project included hosting a global innovation challenge for MSMEs from G20 member countries to identify, recognise, and enable the adoption of innovative and impactful digital technologies developed by startups, addressing the needs of humanity in six identified sectors; Fintech, Digital Platforms and AI, Secured Digital Infrastructure, Circular Economy, Innovations for Development (Agritech, Healthtech, Edutech, etc.) and Innovations for Connectivity. 

The success of the program was seeing young innovators coming from diverse backgrounds coming together to showcase their digital innovations with one goal of using technology to transform the lives of citizens. 

4) What was one unexpected lesson you learned this year about designing for real people? This can be about a specific project or a broader lesson about your work.

I learned that the process of ensuring adoption of technologies or innovations requires perseverance and acknowledgement that people understand things differently.

As a leader, you need to create awareness about the technologies and their value, while exercising patience that even the best tools can be misunderstood by others.

It is important to create an environment where difficult discussions can happen without any judgement from participants. 

5) We hear a lot about AI. What's a practical example of how AI can be used to make government services more inclusive and trustworthy?

Part of the work I have been involved in this year is the development of a National AI Policy Framework, which is currently awaiting Cabinet approval.

In parallel, I have been working with local universities to establish AI Hubs and look at developing AI tools to be used in public service.

I have also been working with private sector companies to look at broader AI skills development programs to ensure that our youth and citizens are skilled to adopt the use of AI. 

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6) How are you preparing for the next wave of change in the public sector? What new skill, approach, or technology are you most excited to explore in the coming year?

I am currently capacitating myself on an AI Governance course as part of my work includes development of policies for adoption of emerging technologies.

This will allow me to advise our South African public sector on using emerging technologies to make government services more inclusive and trustworthy. 

7) What advice do you have for public sector innovators who want to build a career focused on serving all citizens?

Implementing innovation projects thrive in collaborations. Seek meaningful partnerships and identify individuals who can be advocates of the successes of your projects.

By profiling the successes of your project, people will then start trusting it and want to get involved. 

8) Who inspires you to build a more inclusive and trustworthy public sector?

I am inspired by South African youth innovators, who despite coming from difficult backgrounds and face challenges in commercialising their innovations, they still forge forward to win.

I am therefore inspired to make sure that our public sector create an enabling environment to procure and use locally-developed digital innovations. 

9) If you had an unlimited budget, what would your dream project be?

I would develop a Start-up Fund to support local tech startups in commercialising their innovations. 

10) Outside tech, what excites you the most?

I mentor young graduates who are starting their careers by giving them advice on how to navigate the workplace and position themselves for growth. I get excited when I see them embrace the advice and grow in their careers.