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The City of Johannesburg has announced an ambitious plan to integrate artificial intelligence into its daily municipal operations as part of its 2027 Modernisation Roadmap.

The roadmap, unveiled on Friday, aims to use AI to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and deliver better services to residents. Key focus areas include traffic management, waste collection, water and electricity monitoring, customer service, and infrastructure maintenance.

Through AI, the city plans to optimise waste collection routes, detect water and electricity leaks faster, predict infrastructure failures before they occur, and deploy intelligent chatbots to handle resident complaints more quickly. These technologies are expected to help the city tackle long-standing challenges such as service delays and limited resources.

Mayor Mpho Phalatse described the initiative as a bold step towards building a smarter and more responsive city. “We are moving Johannesburg into the digital age by using AI to solve real problems that affect our people every day,” she said.

The plan also includes upgrading the city’s digital infrastructure, strengthening data systems, and training municipal workers to work with new technologies. The city will partner with private technology companies and academic institutions to ensure successful implementation.

This move further strengthens Johannesburg’s position as one of Africa’s leading cities in AI adoption, alongside Cape Town. Several other major African cities are closely monitoring the project as a possible model for smart city development.

Implementation will begin in phases later this year, with full rollout targeted for 2027. Residents will be kept informed and given opportunities to provide feedback as the new systems are introduced.

The City of Johannesburg believes that embracing AI will lead to faster service delivery, reduced waste, and better use of public funds, ultimately improving the quality of life for its over five million residents.