The public sector is driven by public interest and aims to deliver core services to its communities, while the private sector thrives on innovation and competition.
The pressure of urbanisation, aggravated by budget cuts, means that the public sector
increasingly needs to become more innovative, to do more with less.
Private sector technology and the grasp of its endless applications can improve operational
efficiency of providing public services.
Tipping the scale.
Only a few South African municipalities stand out as attractive investment options based on their track record of effective governance, ethical leadership and consistent service delivery.
This means that competition for investment among performing municipalities is high, and given that their performances are all similar, the private sectors’ contribution and competitive nature can tip the scale in favour of a municipality.
For under-performing municipalities, collaboration can prove the tipping point between fulfilled residents and unrest.
Interdependence of the private and public sectors.
The economical devastation after Clover moved its factory from North West to KZN due to poor road infrastructure, irregular water supply and power outages, which made operations very difficult for Clover is an example of interdependence.
If the Local Municipality had the will to improve and retain investment in the region, technology such as AI and tariff setting programs among others may have improved service delivery and created more favourable conditions for companies to operate in.
While the disruption and cost of Clover’s exit must have been significant, the damage caused to the North-West Local Municipality’s economy is ongoing. The public and private sectors need each other.
In synch with needs.
Attracting talent to rural municipalities is not easy and Solvem Consulting’s sponsorship of
Weskus Distrik’s 2024 and 2025 12-month Internship programmes is a prime example of
responding to the needs of local government.
Weskus can now cherry-pick the best young talent for permanent employment while the rest
enter the local economy with the discipline, confidence and the work-place experience required to find meaningful employment.
Solvem Consulting also sponsored Weskus Distrik’s groundbreaking Wavemaker Summit.
Local government leaders, private sector executives and subject matter experts from academia gathered over three days to hold robust discussions about ethical leadership, effective governance and long-term planning among others.
Tagged as “Be the Wind” (behind change), the Wavemaker Summit underlined the value of collaboration.
The effectiveness of the Internship programme and the successful Wavemaker Summit clearly illustrated that the private sector could offer more to local government than technology, infrastructure, innovation and a competitive edge.
Dylan Strydom
CEO
Solvem Consulting.
www.solvem.co.za
SOLVEM Consulting is a proudly South African Designer & Developer of Enterprise Intelligence Ecosystems.
