Tumi Mthembu, a dedicated municipal official in the Electricity Department of Masizakhe Municipality, offers a glimpse into the transformation we are creating. A future where municipal services are driven by data insights, where decisions are based on evidence rather than gut feeling, and where interdepartmental collaboration creates solutions that truly serve residents. Through the Data Strategy Toolkit, Tumi transforms from a frustrated administrator drowning in manual reports to a Chief Data Officer leading municipality-wide digital transformation.
The frustration begins
Every month, Tumi faces the same exhausting routine. Armed with spreadsheets and a clipboard, she spends days collecting electricity consumption data from different substations, manually entering figures, and preparing reports that seem to disappear into bureaucratic black holes. The data arrives too late to prevent outages, too fragmented to identify patterns, and too unreliable to inform strategic decisions.
In 2024, Tumi’s department operates like many others across South African municipalities - isolated, reactive, and drowning in paperwork. When load-shedding schedules change, residents complain about poor communication. When infrastructure fails, the department scrambles to respond. When budgets are planned, decisions are based on outdated information and best guesses.
Frustrated by this cycle, Tumi discovers the Data Strategy Toolkit during a lunch break search for “how to digitise municipal data.” The Introduction section immediately resonates - here is a practical guide designed specifically for municipal officials like her, tired of inefficient processes and eager to create meaningful change.
Starting small
Following the toolkit’s guidance on “Starting small when solving problems”, Tumi identifies her first use case: automating monthly electricity consumption reporting. Using the “Clarifying the real problem” framework, she realises the issue isn’t just manual data collection - it’s the lack of real-time insights preventing proactive maintenance and better resident communication.
Tumi applies the “Knowing your user and their needs” methodology, interviewing field technicians, supervisors, and residents affected by outages. She discovers that residents don’t just want electricity- they want predictable, reliable service and timely communication about disruptions.
Following the “Building use cases that demonstrate value” guidelines, Tumi creates a simple dashboard that tracks consumption patterns and predicts potential overloads. Within three months, her department reduces unplanned outages by 15% and improves resident satisfaction scores. The “Show your work” principle guides her in documenting and sharing these early wins through monthly reports and team presentations.
Finding allies and friends
Tumi’s success catches the attention of colleagues across departments. Sipho from Water and Sanitation approaches her after seeing her presentation on predictive maintenance. “We’re having the same problems with pipe bursts,” he explains. “Could your approach work for water infrastructure?”
Meanwhile, Nomsa from Social Development is manually tracking beneficiary data across multiple programs, losing valuable time that could be spent serving residents. When she hears about Tumi’s automation success, she’s eager to learn more.
Using the “R&Rs of Data Working Group” guidelines from the toolkit, Tumi establishes the Municipal Data Collective with Sipho, Nomsa, and two other champions: Themba from Transport (frustrated with traffic data collection) and Lerato from Health (struggling with clinic resource allocation).
The group meets monthly, following the toolkit’s framework for “Getting stakeholders aligned and moving”. They share challenges, celebrate wins, and gradually build a network of data champions across departments. Each member focuses on one department-specific use case while contributing to shared learning and resource pooling.
Scaling success
Over the next year, the Municipal Data Collective develops several interconnected use cases:
Sipho’s Water Intelligence System: Predicts pipe maintenance needs and optimises water pressure across neighbourhoods, reducing water wastage by 20%.
Nomsa’s Beneficiary Platform: Streamlines social grant applications and reduces processing time from weeks to days, serving 3,000 additional families annually.
Themba’s Traffic Flow Optimiser: Uses intersection data to adjust traffic light timing, reducing commute times by 12% during peak hours.
Lerato’s Clinic Resource Planner: Allocates medical supplies and staff based on predicted demand, improving service delivery to 50,000 residents.
Each project follows the toolkit’s “Resourcing your project” and “Roadmaps that get executed” frameworks, ensuring sustainable implementation and measurable impact.
Engaging leadership
As use cases multiply and demonstrate clear value, the Municipal Data Collective recognises they need institutional support to scale further. Following the “Why your strategy needs champions” guidance, they prepare a presentation for senior leadership, focusing on resident impact and cost savings rather than technical details.
The “Making data work fit your municipality’s vision” framework helps them align their work with the municipality’s strategic priorities: improving service delivery, reducing costs, and enhancing resident satisfaction. Their presentation shows how data initiatives directly support these goals through measurable outcomes.
Mayor Thabo Mogale and municipality Manager Sarah Johnson are impressed by the concrete results. “This is exactly what we need,” Mayor Mogale declares. “How do we make this approach standard across all departments?”
Formalising the approach
With leadership buy-in secured, the Municipal Data Collective uses the toolkit’s Standards and Principles section to establish governance frameworks. They develop data sharing protocols, define roles and responsibilities, and create architectural standards that ensure different department systems can integrate effectively.
The “R&Rs for Chief Data Officer” and “R&Rs for Data Council” sections provide templates for formalising data governance. The municipality establishes a Data Council with representatives from each department, chaired by the newly created Chief Data Officer position.
Following the “SOW Template” guidelines, they secure funding for a comprehensive data strategy implementation. The business case emphasises resident service improvements, operational cost savings, and evidence-based decision making.
The transformation - Chief Data Officer Tumi
Eighteen months after discovering the toolkit, Tumi is appointed as the municipality’s first Chief Data Officer. Her mandate: scale data-driven approaches across all departments and create an integrated platform for resident services.
Using the “Data Strategy Template” from the toolkit, Tumi develops a comprehensive five-year plan. The strategy outlines how Masizakhe Municipality will become a truly data-driven municipality, where every decision is informed by evidence and every service is optimised for resident needs.
The “Data Maturity Assessment” framework helps Tumi evaluate each department’s current capabilities and create targeted development plans. The “Systems that enable data access” guidelines inform the procurement of integrated platforms that break down departmental silos.
The future
By 2026, Tumi’s vision begins to materialise. The Municipal Data Collective has evolved into a municipality-wide network of data champions. Departments share real-time information, enabling coordinated responses to municipal challenges.
When a water pipe bursts, the system automatically adjusts traffic routing, notifies affected residents, and schedules coordinated repairs with minimal disruption. When clinic demand surges, resources are automatically reallocated from underutilised facilities. When electricity consumption spikes, the system proactively manages load distribution and communicates with residents about potential impacts.
Following the “Weeknotes Guide” from the toolkit, Tumi regularly shares progress updates with residents and stakeholders. Transparency builds trust, and measurable improvements in service delivery create a positive feedback loop that supports continued investment in data capabilities.
The ripple effect
Tumi’s success attracts attention from other municipalities across South Africa. The “Show your work” principle has created a replicable model that other cities can adapt to their contexts. The Data Strategy Toolkit provides the framework, but Tumi’s journey demonstrates that transformation is possible with dedication, collaboration, and strategic thinking.
The Municipal Data Collective approach spreads to Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria, each adapting the toolkit’s guidelines to their unique challenges and opportunities. A national network of municipal data champions emerges, sharing best practices and supporting each other’s digital transformation journeys.
The legacy - a government for residents
From her office as Chief Data Officer, Tumi reflects on the journey that began with frustration over manual electricity reports. The Data Strategy Toolkit didn’t just provide technical guidance - it offered a pathway to transform how government serves residents.
The monthly reports that once consumed her time are now automated, freeing her to focus on strategic initiatives that improve thousands of lives. Data flows seamlessly between departments, enabling coordinated service delivery that residents notice and appreciate. Evidence-based decision making has replaced gut feelings and political pressure as the foundation for municipal planning.
Most importantly, the transformation has created a culture of continuous improvement. Municipal officials across departments now ask, “What does the data tell us?” before making decisions. They measure impact, iterate based on results, and prioritise resident needs over bureaucratic convenience.
Tumi’s journey from frustrated administrator to Chief Data Officer demonstrates that municipal transformation is possible. The Data Strategy Toolkit provides the roadmap, but success depends on champions like Tumi who combine technical knowledge with persistence, collaboration, and an unwavering focus on improving residents’ lives.
This story illustrates how the Data Strategy Toolkit can guide municipal officials through practical transformation steps, from individual use cases to municipality-wide digital transformation. Each phase builds on toolkit guidance while demonstrating real-world application and measurable impact.