Background: Data-driven decision-making (D3M) has become essential for enhancing efficiency, accountability and student success in higher education institutions (HEIs). Yet, South African universities continue to face challenges in adopting D3M, particularly because of individual-level barriers among staff who engage with data systems. Objectives: This study investigates individual barriers to D3M adoption among decision-makers in South African HEIs and proposes strategies to build capacity for effective and sustainable implementation. Method: A qualitative case study approach was employed, involving 24 semi-structured interviews conducted with senior managers, data specialists and academic staff at the University of the Western Cape. Thematic analysis was utilised to identify personal and contextual factors shaping D3M engagement. Results: The study recommends targeted capacity-building interventions, including awareness campaigns, diagnostic skills assessments and multi-tiered training programmes that integrate confidence-building and peer mentoring. Institutions should implement gradual, age-sensitive rollouts and appoint D3M champions to promote adoption by demonstrating success. Conclusion: By foregrounding individual-level dynamics, the study extends the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) and self-efficacy theory to the South African higher education context. It contributes actionable strategies for cultivating data-literate, confident and digitally empowered academic communities that support institutional transformation. Contribution: This research fills a gap in understanding personal-level barriers to D3M adoption in the under-researched South African higher education context. It contributes actionable insights for higher education leaders and policymakers.

Background: Routine health information systems (RHISs) are critical for evidence-based child health programme management, yet limited research exists on healthcare managers’ experiences with RHIS implementation in resource-constrained settings. Objectives: This study explored healthcare managers’ perspectives on using RHISs to enhance child healthcare programme effectiveness in Namibia. Method: A qualitative case study design employed semi-structured interviews with 24 healthcare managers. Purposive sampling ensured representation across management hierarchies, and Braun and Clarke’s six-stage thematic analysis guided data analysis. Results: Three themes emerged: RHIS implementation challenges, capacity and governance gaps, and pathways for sustainable development. Namibia’s hybrid paper-digital system creates inefficiencies, with poor connectivity and technical glitches undermining data reliability. While managers demonstrated conceptual understanding of RHIS importance, significant disparities existed in practical data management skills and DHIS2 access. Despite data availability, strategic planning remained constrained by political influences, absent policy frameworks, and fragmented parallel systems lacking interoperability. Managers primarily used routine data for operational decisions rather than strategic planning. Conclusion: Effective RHIS implementation requires simultaneously addressing technical infrastructure, human capacity, and institutional governance. Priority interventions should target system reliability, practical data competencies, and legislative frameworks mandating evidence-based planning. Contribution: This study provides a new understanding of the complex technical, capacity and governance factors that influence the effectiveness of RHISs in resource-constrained settings.

Background: Sustainable digital transformation requires more than technological adoption; it depends on strategic knowledge management (KM). Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain and big data have reshaped organisational knowledge creation, sharing and application. However, the mediating role of KM between digital capability and sustainability outcomes remains insufficiently integrated in the literature. Objectives: This review examines how KM supports sustainable digital transformation, how 4IR technologies influence KM processes, and which barriers and enablers shape knowledge-sharing ecosystems. It also develops a conceptual framework grounded in the knowledge-based view and dynamic capabilities theories to explain how KM converts digital capability into sustainable organisational performance. Method: A systematic literature review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework. Peer-reviewed publications from 2015 to 2024 were retrieved from IEEE Xplore, Scopus, SpringerLink, Web of Science and the ACM Digital Library. Selected studies were screened and thematically analysed. Results: Five themes emerged: KM and Industry 4.0, Digital Transformation and KM, Strategic KM Frameworks, Challenges in KM Implementation, and General KM Insights. The findings of this study indicate that KM enhances innovation, organisational agility and sustainability when aligned with 4IR technologies. Cultural, infrastructural and knowledge-security barriers remain significant constraints. Conclusion: Knowledge management is central to sustainable digital transformation. Organisations must adopt adaptive and technology-aligned KM strategies to achieve long-term value. Contribution: The study synthesises dominant research themes and proposes an integrative framework positioning KM as the mediating mechanism through which 4IR technologies generate sustainable organisational outcomes.

Background: Digital transformation has become essential for improving public-sector efficiency and service delivery. Despite growing investment in digital initiatives, many government entities struggle to achieve meaningful transformation. This is partly due to a limited understanding of how leadership styles, organisational culture, and digital maturity interact in developing-country context models. Objectives: This study identifies and determines the causal relationships among transformational leadership, digital leadership, organisational culture, and digital maturity for digital transformation. In addition, it empirically fits, tests, and validates the proposed digital transformation model. Method: A quantitative research design was employed. A structured survey was administered to 380 employees across four government entities in Gauteng, producing 299 valid responses (79% response rate). Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the direct, indirect, and mediating relationships among the study constructs. Results: Findings indicate that although digital maturity is positively associated with digital transformation, it does not significantly predict transformation outcomes. Transformational leadership shows a negative relationship with digital transformation, suggesting contextual constraints in hierarchical public institutions. However, both transformational and digital leadership positively influence organisational culture. Organisational culture emerges as the strongest determinant of digital transformation and serves as a central mediating mechanism. A negative correlation between organisational culture and digital maturity further suggests that entrenched cultural traits may inhibit digital readiness. Conclusion: The study contributes a validated multidimensional model integrating leadership and cultural and technological factors. It offers a context-specific African perspective, demonstrating that adaptive leadership and cultural alignment are critical for achieving successful digital transformation. Contribution: The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and public-sector leaders seeking to strengthen digital governance capability.

Background: The rapid adoption and accelerated integration of mobile technology into organisational processes have significantly transformed the landscape of data collection and analysis, establishing Mobile Business Intelligence (MBI) as a critical enabler of real time, data-driven decision-making. Mobile Business Intelligence has emerged as a pivotal tool for enhancing the speed and accuracy of strategic business decisions. Objectives: The study investigated and established factors affecting MBI readiness within the South African telecommunications sector. Method: Quantitative research methodology and probability sampling were used to select participants, and closed-ended questionnaires were used. One hundred and twenty-eight responses were received and tested. The factors affecting MBI readiness were validated using quantitative analysis. Results: Fourteen factors affecting MBI readiness were identified, namely: organisational culture, organisational capability, policies and people, infrastructure, security, skills, training, enterprise mobility support, need for change, inhibitors, motivators, and change enablers. Conclusion: The findings of this study may encourage success in leveraging mobility and developing better strategies and approaches for MBI adoption, enabling organisations to realise expected benefits, make well-informed decisions and conserve costs, time and resources. These organisations could achieve a higher success rate with MBI investments. Contribution: This study contributed methodologically, theoretically and practically by identifying critical success factors affecting MBI readiness. Methodologically, the identified factors inform the MBI readiness model and provide guidelines for the successful implementation of MBI solutions.

Background: Rural community libraries are increasingly recognised for providing localised knowledge, yet their potential to support agricultural extension services and improve access to postharvest knowledge in Uganda remains underexplored. Objectives: This study examined the postharvest information needs of smallholder maize farmers and explored how community libraries can be leveraged to translate and repackage research-based knowledge to meet these needs. Method: A mixed-methods parallel design was employed. Data were collected from a survey of 312 maize farmers, personal interviews and two focus group discussions (FGDs) with 22 extension workers and four librarians. Desk research was conducted to analyse relevant documents. Quantitative data were descriptively analysed using SPSS, while qualitative data were thematically coded and interpreted with ATLAS.ti. Results: Farmers face critical knowledge gaps in storage, drying, value addition, credit access, pest management, marketing and insurance. Although limited in reach, rural community libraries are underutilised, yet hold potential as localised hubs for translating and repackaging research-based knowledge into farmer-relevant formats. Strengthening libraries’ roles through policy support, funding, partnerships and multi-channel dissemination could enhance knowledge access, reduce postharvest losses, increase farmer incomes and improve food security. Conclusion: Current top-down knowledge sharing inadequately meets farmers’ needs, while rural libraries’ untapped capacities limit access to relevant agricultural knowledge. Contribution: The study identifies community libraries as key knowledge intermediaries and proposes their integration into extension systems to promote effective knowledge translation (KT) and improvement in postharvest practice.

Background: The emergence of the Internet transformed global communication and operations, evolving into an essential tool that underpins daily life. Technological advancements such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and robotics have reshaped the digital landscape. Telecommunications, which enables communication across distances, has experienced rapid innovation now entering the era of 5G. However, this progress has been accompanied by escalating cybersecurity risks that threaten the integrity of systems and data. Objectives: This study investigates the cybersecurity skills required to protect the telecommunications sector from emerging cyber threats. It aims to identify skill gaps and determine which cybersecurity competencies are viewed as most critical by audit professionals within the sector. Method: A qualitative approach was adopted, using interviews to collect data from cybersecurity professionals in the South African telecommunications sector. The sample comprised 15 participants in the audit field purposefully selected based on their demonstrated experience and expertise in cybersecurity. Results: Findings indicate that participants recognise the importance of cybersecurity skills, yet gaps remain in areas such as threat detection, incident response and secure system design. Respondents emphasised the need for continuous training and the importance of understanding cybersecurity frameworks. Conclusion: The telecommunications sector must address both technical and soft skills in cybersecurity. Strengthening the workforce’s cyber capabilities is vital for sustainable protection against threats. Contribution: This study provides valuable insights into sector-specific cybersecurity needs and highlights the importance of skills development. It supports future policy, training and strategic interventions aimed at building cyber resilience in the telecommunications sector.

Background: Organisations in the energy sector play a vital role in ensuring the stability of the national energy supply. Effective knowledge-driven decision-making is of paramount importance to deliver stable energy in the sector. However, many organisations in the energy sector continue to experience low uptake and limited integration of Knowledge Management Systems (KMSs) into operational processes, despite their recognised benefits in supporting evidence-based decision-making and preserving organisational knowledge. Objectives: This research aimed to develop a model for the use of KMSs to improve decision-making within the South African energy sector. Method: This study employed a quantitative research approach, utilising closed-ended questionnaires, to collect data from 150 respondents within an organisation in the South African energy sector, aiming to determine the technological, organisational and environmental factors that influence the use of KMSs. The collected data were then analysed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: The results indicate that self-efficacy, usefulness, motivational culture, performance expectancy and policies and standards are the strongest predictors of behavioural intention to use the KMSs within the South African energy sector. The correlation results further confirmed significant positive associations between perceived usefulness, organisational support and the intention to adopt the system. Conclusion: The developed model highlights the importance of addressing individual confidence, organisational culture and clear governance models to promote effective KMS usage. The model serves as a guide for the implementation and integration of KMSs to improve knowledge-enabled decision-making in the operational processes of organisations in the South African energy sector. Contribution: This study contributes an empirically validated model for supporting KMS usage in the energy sector. The model can inform policy development, training programmes and system design to strengthen knowledge management practices in similar organisational contexts.

Background: Despite being a manual system, land registration in South Africa is globally recognised as one of the most reliable and accurate systems because of rigorous verification procedures at the Deeds Office that ensure authenticity and accuracy of the information. However, occasional disputes and errors still occur because of inherent limitations in manual processes. Various countries have adopted blockchain technology to prevent fraud and land disputes because of its decentralised, mutable and auditable features. Objectives: To explore the potential economic benefits of a blockchain-based land registry in the South African context. Method: This study uses a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) approach to systematic literature review (SLR) to identify all empirical evidence that fits the pre-specified inclusion criteria to answer research questions. Results: The results generated from the final sample of 52 articles indicate that there are six related economic benefits: (1) promoting economic stability, (2) boosting investor confidence, (3) increasing tax revenue, (4) reducing litigation costs, (5) reducing transaction costs and (6) eliminating double spending. Conclusion: Embracing a blockchain-based land registry as a socio-technical system presents a significant opportunity for South Africa to modernise its land administration processes. By leveraging the identified economic benefits, stakeholders can pave a way for a more efficient, transparent and trustworthy system that not only enhances property rights but also stimulates property growth across the country, thus reducing the financial burden on government and taxpayers, which can free up resources for other economic development projects. Contribution: The knowledge gained through the application of an SLR and the adoption of GST will contribute towards methodological and theoretical development.

Background: The increasing reliance on digital health solutions, particularly mental health applications, has the potential to revolutionise mental health management by offering accessible and scalable interventions. However, there are barriers to adoption and effectiveness. Objectives: This study aimed to identify factors contributing to user dissatisfaction with mental health applications. Method: A qualitative case study using more than 1600 Google reviews was conducted. A thematic analysis of user feedback was conducted, focusing on dissatisfaction, negative experiences and technical issues across application features, data management, health management, quality, user experience and well-being. The data were coded and analysed for patterns and co-occurrences among these categories. Results: Application quality, user experience and technical reliability were the most significant factors influencing dissatisfaction. Common technical issues, including crashes and poor interface design, negatively affected user engagement and reduced the applications’ effectiveness in supporting mental health management. Although some users reported improvements in well-being, technical challenges frequently offset these. Conclusion: The findings emphasise the need for improved user-centred design, stable technical infrastructure and personalised features to enhance mental health applications. Addressing these issues can increase user satisfaction and the overall effectiveness of digital health interventions. Contribution: This study contributes to the growing body of literature on digital health. It provides insights for improving the design and functionality of mental health applications. This assists in meeting user needs better.