This paper looks beyond the mostly technical and business issues that currently inform the design of knowledge-based systems (e.g., expert systems) to point out that there is also a social and organisational (a socio-organisational) dimension to the issues affecting the design decisions of expert systems and other information technologies. It argues that whilst technical and business issues are considered before the design of Expert Systems, that socio-organisational issues determine the acceptance and long-run utility of the technology after it has been implemented. It shows how four issues within the organisation can affect the design or the after-effects of the design and implementation of the technology. It also shows how the four issues can be considered within the structured phases of expert system development.

Most African countries are littered with machines, factories, buildings and other kinds of technical artifacts that are no longer in working order; or that worked for only a short time before they were abandoned. One of the major reasons for the abandonment of these systems is (the term 'systems' is hereafter used to refer to all of the above technical artifacts, including Information Technology (IT) systems) that often they develop a small fault, or a new/more powerful, attractive or faster system is introduced. Recently, this problem has been made more manifest in the area of IT. This paper argues that this ought not to be the case, and that there is much to gain from repairing, enhancing and adapting already existing systems. Therefore, it calls for a 'culture of maintenance' in the whole society, and more particularly, in the area of IT. It argues that this is a vital prerequisite for the sustainable acquisition or effective use of IT. The paper goes on to examine the nature of software maintenance and the strategies organisations can employ in Africa to ensure that their systems are adequately maintained.

The rapid urbanization of African cities is one amongst other composite challenges hindering Africa’s objective to provide stable socio-economic development and delivery of quality livelihood for its citizens and visitors at large. The establishment of Smart City initiatives in African cities is meant to improve the quality of lives of the residents of those cities. Information and communications technologies (ICT) are key enabling factors for this transformation and must be integrated into several functional domains of society, such as health, education, transportation, energy, etc., so as to engender efficient and ubiquitous public services, as well as higher socio-economic standards of living for the citizens. This paper highlights the potential benefits, as well as challenges, African cities embarking on Smart City initiatives face. To further grasp the motivations and challenges of implementing Smart City initiatives in Africa, we take a look at a new Smart City initiative (The SmartCity Innovation Hub, by Smart City Resort plc.) that is underway in the city of Lagos, Nigeria. We questioned the developers on their motivations for undertaking such a Smart City initiative in Africa, the potential economic, technological and environmental benefits of the project, and the challenges of embarking on such a project.

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