DPSA Director General, Ms Yoliswa Makhasi

The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) Director-General (DG), Ms Yoliswa Makhasi, is leading the delegation at the 42nd Annual African Association for Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) Roundtable Conference, which is currently underway in the resort town of Livingstone, Zambia.

Organised around the theme: “Building Resilient Societies through Effective Governance and Public Administration in Africa: An Imperative for the Realisation of the SDGs and Agenda 2063 Aspirations”, the conference programme kicked off yesterday, 5 December 2023, and ends on Friday, 8 December 2023.

DG Makhasi, who is also AAPAM Vice President for Southern Africa, is accompanied by officials from the DPSA, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Prof Somadoda Fikeni, the CEO of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), Prof Eddy Maloka.

A diverse group of representatives drawn from South African civil society organisations, including academia and non-governmental organisations, is also actively participating in the conference, which indicates the depth of commitment to Africa’s developmental agenda.

The Roundtable Conference aims to bring together experts from Africa and worldwide to exchange ideas, perspectives, and experiences on various issues, including policy development, research, innovation, social and cultural affairs, and economic and environmental challenges, and generate insights for policy influence.

In addition to enhancing understanding of the current state of public administration in Africa and the gaps in capabilities and aspirations, the 42nd Annual AAPAM Roundtable Conference is expected to result in the following outcomes, among others:

  • Best practices and innovative solutions for improving public administration at both local and national levels identified and a mechanism for the development of strategies for enhancing the capacity of public administrators to effectively deliver services to citizens proposed;
  • Best practices and innovative solutions for improving public administration at both local and national levels identified and a mechanism for the development of strategies for enhancing the capacity of public administrators to effectively deliver services to citizens proposed;
  • the role of emerging technologies in transforming public administration in Africa outlined and innovative solutions for enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of public service delivery elaborated; and
  • Increased understanding of the benefits presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for regional integration and attainment of Agenda 2063 aspirations.