Case Study: Digital Trust and Public Service Transformation in Uganda
Uganda’s digital transformation, guided by the Digital Uganda Vision, has revolutionised public service delivery by introducing secure digital IDs, e-services, and mobile platforms that simplify access for citizens and businesses (DPI Africa, 2025). These initiatives have increased efficiency, reduced corruption, and enabled greater financial inclusion and healthcare access through digital channels. A robust focus on digital trust—incorporating security, transparency, and citizen education—has been essential to widespread adoption and impact (PwC, 2024). Despite ongoing challenges like limited internet penetration and cybersecurity risks, Uganda’s experience illustrates how digital trust empowers inclusive growth and social progress (World Bank, 2024).
Beyond Ethics: The Strategic Economics of Digital Trust
Digital trust is fundamentally the belief that digital technologies and organisations will act securely, ethically and transparently, building stakeholder confidence that enables greater economic growth and resilience. Organisations that excel in digital trust practices—such as robust cybersecurity, ethical data usage and transparent processes—see tangible benefits including increased consumer loyalty, reduced risk, and enhanced market reputation. Recent consulting and research findings show that even a small increase in digital trust can significantly boost GDP per capita and business growth. However, the digital trust gap—differences in perceived versus actual trust in digital platforms—can impede innovation and market development, leaving societies vulnerable to cybercrime and undermining the value created by digital transformation.
In practice, embedding digital trust within strategy, risk and audit functions fosters lasting economic advantage, as strong trust environments lower transaction costs, encourage innovation and ensure higher rates of digital adoption.
KING V CODE ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE FOR SOUTH AFRICA (Draft)
The King V Code on Corporate Governance for South Africa establishes a comprehensive framework for ethical and effective leadership, emphasising integrated thinking and sustainable value creation within economic, social, and environmental contexts. It defines corporate governance as the pursuit of four main outcomes—ethical culture, performance, conformance, and legitimacy—through the actions of the governing body. Critical principles include ethical leadership, balanced governing body composition, clear delegation, and robust risk and compliance management. The Code advocates stakeholder inclusivity and responsible corporate citizenship grounded in Ubuntu philosophy, guiding organisations to create value for both themselves and broader society. Governance practices are structured around steering the organisation, approving policies, overseeing management, and ensuring accountability. The Code mandates an outcomes-based, “apply and explain” disclosure approach, allowing for proportional adaptation based on an organisation’s size and complexity. It addresses essential domains: ethics, strategy, reporting, risk, compliance, stakeholder management, information governance (including emerging technologies like AI), assurance, and remuneration. Organisations are encouraged to implement leading practices, foster diversity and competence, and ensure independent oversight of committees, with transparency and continuous evaluation central to its application.
THE STATE OF CYBER SECURITY 2025 – Top threats, emerging trends, and CISO recommendations
The 2025 State of Cyber Security report highlights key threats, including: The AI tactics that swayed a third of global elections through disinformation.
A 58% surge in infostealer attacks, focusing on corporate access.
Ransomware attacks shift from encryption to data exfiltration extortion, with Healthcare now the second most targeted.
Hybrid networks enabling lateral movement between on-premise and cloud.
Hardware and Software supply chains saw the highest attack surge attacks.
IRMSA Risk Report 2025/26
South Africans are experiencing new forms of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. As our own reality changed with the formation of the GNU, the world also changed significantly after the global super-election cycle of 2024. While we are already feeling the impact, these changes will continue to reverberate locally and across the globe in the coming years (not only in a political sense) – affecting the
resilience and sustainability of our
country, our planet, and everyone on it.
IRMSA Risk Report – South Africa Risks 2024/25
‘Managing the risks that attend to the pursuit of sustainable development.’
South Africans today may feel that they are living inside Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities. In the One City, a smaller portion of society feels empowered and excited about the unfolding future, gathering pace on the wings of the ongoing technological revolution and new political possibilities. The unprecedented results of the 2024 elections require citizens, political parties, the State, and corporates to reinvent a political future that will serve the interests of our entire nation. Yet in Another City, a larger portion of our nation remains excluded from the benefits of democracy and a more equalitarian world. Being caught in this Tale of Two Cities is not unique or confined to South Africa. The explosion of communication technologies has brought us into each other’s living rooms locally and globally, so to speak. This has enabled the world to both share and tackle its interrelated challenges – polycrises and permacrises. Our collective effort to identify and resolve these challenges is guided by the agenda set by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.