Strategies for Developing Digital Infrastructure to Rescue Archives from Stagnant Archival Holdings in the Government of South Africa

Abstract

Records and archives are the footprints of any organisation due to the value of their information. In South Africa, the records and archives are governed by the National Archives and Record Service of South Africa Act No. 43 of 1996, as amended under the auspices of the National Archives and Record Services of South Africa. The current archival holding is compatible with paper, film, and audio formats as provided in the Act. This study sought to explore the strategies for developing digital infrastructure that would rescue records and archives from a stagnant state in the Government of South Africa. This being an interpretive study, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and augmented with content analysis. In view that this was a case study, the population comprised 10 chief information officers and records practitioners from national government departments of South Africa. The collected data were thematically analysed. This study established that the current infrastructure of record-keeping contributes heavily to the stagnant situation of records because only those in the proximity of the archival holdings can access the records by visiting the premises. This study also argues that if the current infrastructure prevails, records and archives will continue to be stagnant. In view of the emerging Fourth Industrial Revolution, the study recommends that records and archives can be saved from the stagnant state by developing the infrastructure for cloud storage within the borders of South Africa.