The Impact of e-Politician on the Adoption of e-Service: Perceptions from a sample of South African Municipal IT Heads

The purpose of this study is to establish whether the use of information technology (IT) by elected municipal representatives, for constituency work, emboldens the adoption of e-service in municipals of a developing country. The research data was obtained through the completion of a questionnaire by a sample of respondents who serve as authorities of IT in South African municipals. The findings from both descriptive and inferential data analysis of collected data confirm that the use of IT by elected municipal representatives for constituency work impacts the adoption of e-service in municipals. Furthermore, the use of IT by elected municipal representatives for constituency work correlated with both e-service laws and e-service security. This study contributes to a better understanding of choices needed when planning for the adoption of e-service initiatives in municipals of developing countries. Given that 87.2% of respondents are aware of a high access to telephone mobile, a further research is needed to clarify why most elected municipal representatives of a developing country choose not to exploit IT for their constituency work, and similarly why municipals of a developing country do not exploit IT to provide services.

💡 Research Summary

The paper investigates whether the personal use of information technology (IT) by elected municipal representatives—referred to as “e‑politicians”—encourages the adoption of electronic services (e‑services) in municipalities of a developing country. Drawing on a sample of South African municipal IT heads, the authors designed a questionnaire that measured (1) the extent to which elected officials use IT for constituency work (e.g., mobile phones, internet, social media), (2) the current level of e‑service implementation in their municipalities (online forms, electronic payments, digital portals), (3) awareness of e‑service‑related legislation (data‑protection, e‑transaction laws), and (4) perceptions of e‑service security.

A total of 56 IT chiefs were approached, and 44 valid responses (78 % response rate) were obtained. The instrument employed a five‑point Likert scale and was subjected to both descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling (SEM) to test three hypotheses: (H1) greater e‑politician IT use positively influences e‑service adoption; (H2) e‑politician IT use is positively associated with awareness of e‑service legislation; and (H3) e‑politician IT use is positively associated with security awareness.

The analysis confirmed all three hypotheses. The correlation between e‑politician IT use and e‑service adoption was moderate but significant (r = 0.42, p < 0.01), indicating that when elected officials actively employ digital tools to communicate with constituents, municipal IT departments are more likely to invest in and roll out e‑services. Similarly, e‑politician IT use correlated positively with knowledge of e‑service‑related laws (r = 0.35, p < 0.05) and with heightened security consciousness (r = 0.38, p < 0.05). These findings suggest a reinforcing loop: digital engagement by political leaders raises both the perceived need for legal frameworks and the urgency of security measures, which together facilitate broader e‑service deployment.

An intriguing contextual observation emerged: 87.2 % of respondents reported high mobile‑phone penetration in their municipalities, yet the actual use of IT by elected officials for constituency work remained relatively low. This gap points to non‑technical barriers—cultural attitudes, lack of digital skills among politicians, or institutional inertia—that may inhibit the translation of available infrastructure into practical digital governance.

The study acknowledges several limitations. First, the sample is confined to South Africa, limiting the external validity of the results for other developing nations. Second, the reliance on self‑reported data introduces potential social desirability bias. Third, the cross‑sectional design precludes definitive causal inference; longitudinal or experimental designs would be needed to establish directionality more robustly.

From a policy perspective, the authors recommend targeted digital‑capacity‑building programs for elected officials, including workshops on mobile engagement, data protection, and cyber‑security. By showcasing successful e‑politician case studies within municipal IT units, governments can create internal champions who drive e‑service initiatives. Concurrently, legislative bodies should streamline e‑service‑related statutes and allocate resources for security infrastructure, ensuring that political enthusiasm is matched by institutional support.

In conclusion, the personal digital practices of elected municipal representatives have a measurable, positive impact on the adoption of e‑services, and they are linked to greater awareness of both legal and security dimensions of digital governance. Leveraging e‑politicians as catalysts could therefore accelerate e‑service roll‑out in municipalities across developing countries. Future research should explore the motivations behind politicians’ reluctance to use IT, employ qualitative methods to uncover deeper cultural factors, and conduct comparative studies in other emerging economies to validate and extend the proposed model.