Improving Service Delivery to Informal Settlements through Data Management in South Africa

While the South African Bill of Rights mandates the provision of services to all residents, over 1.5 million households have limited or no electricity, refuse removal, water, and sanitation structures. This project aimed to improve service delivery to informal settlements in Stellenbosch, South Africa, by assessing the municipality’s communication and data collection system. Informational interviews with organisations working on data management and service delivery, and engagements with residents of the informal settlement Mountain View, it was determined that the service request process needs to establish feedback loops, interdepartmental communication requires restructuring, and new technologies could improve communication with residents and increasing government transparency