The Deputy Minister of Public Service and Administration of South Africa, Pinky Kekana, has urged African governments to strengthen state capacity through long-term planning to enhance economic governance and public service delivery on the continent.

She said the resilience of nations, particularly in the global south, depended heavily on their ability to plan strategically and build strong institutions that could deliver quality services, protect citizens, and drive development, especially in times of crisis.

Ms Kekana stressed that although African countries such as Ghana, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Malawi, Namibia, and Zambia had developed bold and visionary national plans, there remained a gap between vision and implementation due to weaknesses in state capacity.

“When a state lacks capacity, it risks failing to provide quality public service, basic security and stability. The consequences lead to institutional underperformance, social unrest, economic stagnation, and in some cases, outright violence,” she warned.

Event

Ms Kekana was speaking at the opening session of the first annual conference of the African Management Development Institutes’ Network (AMDIN) held in Accra yesterday.

It was hosted by the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) on the theme: “Enhancing Governance and Public Administration in times of Polycrises through Collaboration, Policy, Evidence, Technology (AI) and Innovation for Service Delivery.”

AMDIN is a professional association dedicated to public sector capacity building in Africa. Established to optimise the functioning of capacity development organisations in the African public sector, AMDIN facilitates resource sharing and collaboration across institutions.

The three-day conference aimed to promote dialogue, showcase innovations, foster collaboration, empower public officials, advance the SDGs, enhance leadership, support research and professionalise the African public sector.

Ms Kekana emphasised the need for transformational, inclusive leadership; effective governance rooted in community participation and reforms; strong regulatory frameworks to build public trust; and anti-corruption measures.

She highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) as a path to self-sufficiency and stressed the importance of data-driven decision-making. 

Finally, she urged African governments to embrace technology, invest in digital infrastructure, develop ethical AI frameworks, and collaborate across sectors to drive inclusive, sustainable development.

The President of the association, Tombola Muke, stated that the world was in an era marked by various interconnected crises including health, economic, climate, and geopolitical challenges which disrupted societies, weakened institutions, and tested Africa’s collective response capabilities.

Therefore, he said public administration, as a key driver of national prosperity, must reinvent itself to be more agile, innovative, citizen-focused and resilient.

He stressed that technological innovation offered unprecedented opportunities to anticipate crises, better understand the needs of populations, personalise public services, and reinforce transparency and democratic participation.