SITA’s head office in Erasmuskloof, Pretoria. (Photograph by Lesley Moyo)
The State Information Technology Agency (SITA) has cited missed revenue targets for its inability to fill a few hundred approved vacancies.
Earlier this month, reports emerged that the government IT procurement arm had a gaping hole of vacancies, which equated to nearly 60%, with 435 of 759 newly-created posts empty. The insights were based on the 2024/25 annual report tabled in Parliament.
However, SITA has since issued a statement to clarify what it says are figures that have been “incorrectly interpreted” in some media reports.
According to SITA, a total number of 759 new vacancies were previously approved, based on the assumption that it would achieve a 10% revenue growth during the reporting period.
That target was missed, and its 4% revenue growth “naturally affected the extent to which all approved positions could be filled”.
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“There is a direct correlation between SITA’s financial performance and our staffing requirements,” says Tlali Tlali, head of corporate affairs at SITA.
He adds that SITA’s recruitment strategy is performance-linked and “informed by both fiscal prudence and operational priorities”.
The agency has stated it filled 57% of the new vacancies (433) it was planning to add, leaving 43% (326) unfilled.
The statement notes that at the end of the financial year (2024/25), of the 4 060 posts across all of SITA, 3 736 employees were in positions, meaning there were 324 vacancies remaining. It calculates this as an 8% vacancy rate across the entire organisation.
The agency’s statement adds that “progress is being made in strengthening its human capital base, building internal capacity, and developing a digitally-capable workforce that supports efficient public service delivery”.
While SITA hasn’t revealed the nature of the approved vacancies that need to be filled, it recently advertised for the role of a new managing director, with Gopal Reddy filling the role on an acting basis.
Last year, ITWeb reported that SITA was seeking executives for five top management positions.
SITA sits as a central pillar of government’s IT procurement. It is also responsible for developing, operating and/or maintaining ICT services consumed by government departments.
However, its governance, performance and existence have continuously been called into question, amid delayed tender awards, irregular spending and high staff attrition. In addition, a 26 May decision empowered state entities to appoint their own IT service providers rather than being obligated to use SITA.
The entity is also facing several investigations – including by the Special Investigating Unit, the Public Service Commission and Public Protector − as maladministration and corruption allegations linger.
Despite this, communications and digital technologies minister Solly Malatsi has said he believes the entity’s inefficiencies can be fixed.
