Developing countries must focus on the wellbeing of its citizens - Makobe
Advocate Melanchton Makobe Acting Director General delievered the keynote address at the launch of Public Sector Innovation and Transformation for Sustainable Development Executive Management Programme at Wits University on 9 March 2026. Makobe represented the Hon Maropene Ramokgopa, Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.
Read the full speech:
It is an honour and a privilege to be part of this important initiative to further enhance state capabilities — the opening of the African Public Sector Innovation and Resilience Executive Programme.
This AUDA-NEPAD and Wits School of Governance Executive Management Programme bodes well for efforts in the African continent to strengthen institutional capacity, enhance public sector governance, and advancing innovation-driven sustainable development. This programme is not merely an academic exercise, but rather a call to action, and a call to re-imagine the African state in the 21st Century.
The theme of this programme, “Institutions Fit for the Future”, resonates deeply with our continental aspirations under the African Union (AU)’s Agenda 2063, which is a shared blueprint for ‘The Africa We Want.’ It also aligns strongly with South Africa’s national vision as articulated in the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me acknowledge the significant strides that have been made by developing countries in establishing stable governments and democracies, focused on improving the lives of those who live in them.
Developing countries, in their diversity, have built systems of institutions that aim to translate values into practice. In South Africa, we have made progress in reducing poverty, extending basic services to reach the majority of our citizens, advancing the fundamental rights contained in the Bill of Rights, as well as establishing a dynamic economy that is substantially transformed from that of the apartheid era.
In efforts to achieve thriving and prosperous economies, developing countries often face unprecedented social and economic challenges. They are compelled to act by building inclusive economies, where all-of-society — from government, research and academic institutions, civil society, the private sector, development partners, and citizens — play an important role in building societies that work for all.
On this path towards achieving broad prosperity, certain fundamental principles have to be upheld, such as:
Nation-building through fostering national unity and strengthening social cohesion;
Peace, stability, and safe communities, especially for women and children;
A professional, merit-based, non-partisan, and developmental public service that puts people first; and
Integrity, good governance and accountable leadership
Questions are not just being raised about the capacity of societies to address their multiple challenges, but also about the limits to the ability of states to respond to all these emerging demands for action.
While the South African state has a demonstrated capacity in many of these areas, a coordinated response requires a competent and adequately resourced society that can foresee and prepare to meet emerging challenges. In this context, a forward-looking view is needed, to enable the state and society to consider emerging opportunities and threats, and prepare to respond appropriately, as well as to take advantage of opportunities for social and economic inclusion and development.
In this regard, South Africa has identified three Strategic Priorities to focus on during the course of the 7th Administration of the South African government, along with a set of policy choices and priority interventions that will be implemented across the whole of government. This approach requires an all-of-society collaboration.
The strategic priorities are:
Driving inclusive and sustainable economic growth to create jobs;
Reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living (which also seeks to ensure that social assistance is leveraged for local economic development); and
Building a capable, ethical and developmental state (which is critical for the success of the other two strategic priorities)
Allow me to focus on this third strategic priority (building a capable, ethical and developmental state):
Developing countries require a state that is focused on the wellbeing of its citizens, on reforming the structures of the economy for it to be able to deliver on citizens’ needs, and address those factors that negatively impact society — including the lack of safety and security, corruption, and basic socio-economic needs. Growing a sustainable economy is dependent, to a large extent, on a state that is capable and ethical.
South Africa’s NDP reminds us that “a developmental state needs to be capable”, yet it cautions us that a capable state does not materialise by declaration, nor can it be legislated into existence. At the heart of this endeavour lies professionalisation.
To address the capability of the state, South Africa has taken deliberate steps to advance the professionalisation of the public sector through the implementation of the National Framework towards the Professionalisation of the Public Sector. This framework seeks to:
Strengthen merit-based recruitment and ethical leadership;
Enhance skills development and continuous learning;
Improve accountability systems and performance management; and
Foster a culture of integrity and service to citizens.
Government recognises that professionalism is not merely about qualifications — it is about values, competence, and commitment to public purpose. It is about ensuring that public administration remains the agency of democracy and the driver of inclusive development.
While challenges remain, as they do across many developing contexts, we are witnessing tangible progress in strengthening institutional maturity, improving planning and monitoring systems, and embedding a results-oriented culture in government.
This Executive Programme is rightly placing emphasis on leadership, planning, and management for development. ‘Institutions fit for the future’ must not only be capable, they must be adaptive and resilient.
Across our African Continent, we confront a convergence of complex and overlapping challenges, such as climate change, youth unemployment, inequality, public health crises, rapid technological disruption, and shifting geopolitical dynamics. These challenges demand governance institutions that are agile, evidence-based, and technologically enabled.
At the same time, we stand at the threshold of unprecedented opportunity, driven by rapid digital connectivity, growing entrepreneurial ecosystems, and deepening regional integration. In this new era, public sector innovation is not optional, but essential. It must empower our governments to become more adaptive, data-driven and responsive to the needs and aspirations of our citizens in order to accelerate inclusive and sustainable development in the continent.
In South Africa, we are accelerating reforms in:
Digital transformation of public services;
Data-driven planning, monitoring and evaluation; and
Integrated policy planning to improve coordination across spheres of government.
Digitalisation is no longer a technical add-on. It is a governance imperative.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies present unprecedented opportunities to enhance public sector performance by strengthening predictive planning and risk management, improving the targeting and responsiveness of service delivery, enhancing fraud detection and financial oversight mechanisms, and optimising health systems through data-driven decision-making and early-warning systems. Digital platforms, meanwhile, can expand access to government services, particularly for remote and underserved communities — ensuring that no citizen is left behind in our development trajectory.
However, technological advancement must be anchored in ethical governance, data protection, and inclusivity. If not carefully governed, digital transformation can widen inequalities rather than reduce them.
In this regard, South Africa is working to:
Develop coherent digital governance frameworks;
Strengthen data systems across departments;
Build digital skills within the public service; and
Encourage innovation partnerships between government, academia, and the private sector.
The future of governance will be shaped by how well we integrate technology with accountability, transparency, and citizen-centred design.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The AU’s Agenda 2063 cannot be realised through national efforts alone. The capacity discussions need to affirm the role of Regional Economic Communities and AU institutions, which are central to harmonising standards, strengthening policy coherence, and enabling cross-border learning, thereby serving as critical bridges between continental vision and national implementation.
Similarly, the AU’s specialised institutions and agencies play a pivotal role in providing technical support and peer learning platforms, promoting continental norms and standards, facilitating cross-border innovation ecosystems, and supporting institutional capacity development in key sectors such as health, education, science, and technology.
The collaboration between AUDA-NEPAD and the Wits School of Governance exemplifies the type of partnership that Africa needs — of linking continental strategy, academic excellence, and executive leadership development.
‘Institutions fit for the future’ must therefore be professionalised at the national and regional level. These institutions further require processes that are digitally enabled and innovation-driven, regionally connected and continentally aligned, while also being ethical, accountable, and citizen-centred.
I would like to affirm the efforts of the AUDA-NEPAD/Wits School of Governance Executive Management Programme to strengthen institutional capacity, enhance public sector governance and advance innovation-driven sustainable development across Africa.
I wish you well in your African Public Sector Innovation and Resilience Executive Programme.
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