Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has committed the province to becoming a cashless province as of April 2024.
Lesufi, who has in the past few months advocated for an end to cash-based payment systems due to the high levels of crime, particularly cash-in-transit heists, also called on tech businesses and retailers to innovate and adopt a digital economy.
He said even though a cashless business and government environment would not eradicate crime completely, it would help boost safety, transparency, security and financial inclusion while also addressing concerns surrounding cash-related crimes.
He said some industries, including illegal mining, and the domination of the township economy, especially spaza shops, by illegal immigrants, were promoted and enabled by the preference for hard cash instead of a digital economy.
He also said a cashless society would help to foster collaboration among government departments, local businesses and community leaders.
Lesufi was speaking at the Cashless Indaba at the Brixton Multipurpose Centre on Thursday.
He said it was important that South Africa moved away from cash-based systems as this would help curb crime which was being enabled by the use of cash.
“We must do something to fight the scourge of crime, especially cash-in transit heists. As the province, we want to become the first province to migrate from cash to a digital economy. We must embrace technology and innovation in order to achieve this and high on our agenda is to enable new economies in finance and the ICT sectors.”
Lesufi also said for a cashless economy and society to thrive, there had to be integrated solutions through combining services provided by the city, the province and other key role-players and stakeholders.
“We have taken a decision as the province to combine our systems in local government in order to ensure a seamless one-ticketing system for transport where our citizens are able to access transport across the board using one ticketing and payment system.
“Gauteng has become the first province to introduce e-government… We are on the verge of finalising interventions to help solve hijackings through the introduction of a new number plate system that will make it difficult and impossible for criminals to steal or hijack cars. These are number plates that cannot be duplicated,” he said.
Economic Development MEC Tasneem Motara said the purpose of hosting the Cashless Indaba was to bring together all stakeholders in a bid to explore the possibilities that came with a digital economy.
“We have had a series of engagements with stakeholders and we need to expand on this idea and what is required of us to achieve an environment of a cashless and digital society due to the high levels of crime,” she said.
City of Joburg MMC for economic development Dada Morero said a cashless and digital society would create business opportunities and would also help the city and the province deal with fraud, corruption and crime.