The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is the current and developing environment in which changing technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the way governments function. Governments are increasingly facing new risks and opportunities due to the advancement of the 4IR. Governments need to find ways to adapt to the 4IR. Innovation is a prerequisite for adapting to the 4IR. The aim of this article is to determine the level of public service delivery innovation (SDI) in South Africa in the context of the 4IR. The analysis in this article is based on secondary data and documentary analysis, including unsolicited government documents, reports and legislation, and authoritative scholarly literature. A number of innovation measures for improved service delivery have been adopted in South Africa. These efforts are not, however, embedded within the wider public service, and efforts to improve SDI should be considered. In a global environment of resource constraints and constant change, open governance through multi-stakeholder collaboration may present strategic opportunities to facilitate innovation. The aim

Setting:The research setting is in three national government departments, namely the Department of Energy (DoE), the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST). This study investigates how the strategic combination of data governance (DG) and information security governance (ISG) practices and principles could be implemented and incorporated as one of the various approaches in public sector institutions to improve the DISG management functions of an organisation's overall data and information systems and processes. Methods:The research approach is qualitative, and the research methodology includes a multiple case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and was triangulated with literature review. Primary data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results:The research findings are presented according to the McKinsey 7S model, which served as the analytical framework in the study. The research findings indicate that the institutionalisation of DISG management practices and functions in the South African public sector context are very limited, and there is a dominant focus on IT and IT security. It was also identified that DISG policies, practices, and systems have been found to be lacking in public sector management and governance functions. Conclusion:The study concludes that there is currently a lack of sufficient DISG policies, management practices and systems, particularly in the national sphere of government.