Tshwane scoops award at SALGA competition
The Pitch Deck competition was open to various municipalities to submit an innovative solutions pitch, focusing on enhancing revenue within municipalities. Thirteen submissions were shortlisted, and Tshwane emerged triumphant.
The Tshwane metro scooped a prestigious innovation award at the 2025 South African Local Government Association Pitch Deck Competition, for their innovative solutions to address various challenges affecting local government.
Tshwane was honoured for securing first place and overall winner during a conference held on March 19-20, at the Mint Resorts, The Blyde, under the theme “Municipal Revenue Enhancement”.
According to metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the Local Government Pitch Deck was born out of a need to find innovative solutions that would address the various challenges affecting local government.
“It was at this forum that the city, under the leadership of Gareth Mnisi, the Group CFO and the revenue team led by Nceba Mqoqi, the Divisional Head of Collections & Revenue Recovery, showcased how Tshwane responded to the revenue challenges experienced in the local government sector,” explained Mashigo.
He said the solutions pitched by the Tshwane team revolved around a customer rewards programme to encourage prompt settlement of municipal accounts, as well as the city’s credit insurance scheme for revenue protection and enhancement.
“The competition was open to various municipalities, which were requested to submit an innovative solutions pitch, focusing on enhancing revenue within municipalities. Each municipality was required to pitch its solution whether individually or in partnership with a stakeholder from a corporate or public entity.”
Thirteen submissions were shortlisted, and Tshwane emerged triumphant overall this year.
“Local Government Pitch Deck 2025 provides a dynamic platform for professionals in municipalities to showcase innovative ideas that can drive municipal revenue generation and financial resilience, further ensuring business sustainability within municipalities,” added Mashigo.
He stated that The Pitch Deck initiative is aimed at unlocking creative and practical solutions that municipalities can implement to strengthen their revenue base while ensuring sustainable and inclusive local economic development.
“Ultimately improving the quality of life in communities last year, SALGA launched the Local Government Pitch Deck where it issued a call to all municipalities to present practical solutions to solve the theft and vandalism of municipal infrastructure.”
He said during that competition, Tshwane secured second place with a very innovative solution called “Multidimension Anti-Theft and Vandalism System”(MATVS).
“This solution was put together by employees from Energy & Electricity, Tshwane Metro Police, Regional Operations Centre and Human Settlements departments, which developed a quick response solution to potential threats on municipal assets.”
Tshwane City Manager Johann Mettler welcomed the award, saying he supported the plan’s implementation as it encouraged innovation in the institution.
“This is a significant milestone which demonstrates innovation and implementation of pragmatic solutions to resolve some of the challenges besetting the city,” said Mettler.
The official opposition party in Tshwane, the DA, welcomed the award.
DA Tshwane chief whip Ofentse Madzebatela said, “We welcome and congratulate the CFO and the team for securing this award”.
Madzebatela said when the DA was in charge of Tshwane, it was obsessed with turning around the city and bringing in top people into the city to really help change the culture.
“This is a testament to the work done by the DA before we were interrupted by the ANC, ActionSA and EFF.
But most importantly we congratulate the CFO,” Mazebatela said.
“We have always had faith and belief in the kind of leadership we have put in. We will continue to protect and ensure that the current administration does not purge or remove them as they continue to do the work we all started together in ensuring that we bring the city into liquidity.
This is not the first award we received from SALGA.”
He said the city however needs to be more innovative in guarding infrastructure as it has an impact on the revenue of the city.
“Our substations need to be equipped with state-of-the-art technological equipment that will ensure that we guard against vandalism and theft.
We need to ensure that we couple armed response with technology to ensure that we are able to deal with elements threatening infrastructure. We can see the current government is moving away from that. We cannot have a guard with a baton, it has been proven it is not working.”
Madzebatela said he is a bit worried about security tenders in Tshwane.
“We have no confidence that this new administration has the issue of safeguarding infrastructure covered but we are hoping that the city manager will ensure that the plans we left are put forward. We are here to support and become a constructive opposition in ensuring that the city moves forward.”
A resident Marietjie Van Deventer said Tshwane doesn’t deserve the award because there’s no innovative solution to tackle service delivery.
“In Silverton, we are doing everything ourselves, we are acting on their behalf, physically and financially, to maintain and care for the infrastructure.”
She said Tshwane deserves nothing.
“The councillors are the ones that should receive rewards and the credit. The rest of Tshwane’s management are not capable of doing anything.”
Van Deventer said service delivery is pathetic.
“We are busy fixing all the potholes in Silverton. Thanks again to Built-in Silverton, Cornerstone College, Uitkyk Meat and Supermarket and Silverton High School.
Where are their [city] innovative solutions to solve the darkness in Tshwane?
No streetlights are working so they are promoting crime in a way as the infrastructure is now vulnerable to attacks.”
#LGpitchdeck #inspringservicedelivery #asisho@PolokwaneMuni @CityTshwane @CityofCT
Municipalities showcases innovative solutions to build a sustainable local government. pic.twitter.com/bgiCAN3StI— SALGA (@SALGA_Gov) March 19, 2025
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