Abstract:
A Digital Ecosystem is a digital platform that connects stakeholders and
institutions with similar interests. Digital Ecosystems have been applied in different
contexts, including health and business. This paper investigated the prospects and
challenges of implementing a Digital Ecosystem to support public enterprises. Semistructured
interviews were conducted with 20 participants. The findings suggest that
the current infrastructure is suitable for implementing a Digital Ecosystem, however,
more resources and tools such as high-speed Internet, high-end computers as well as
security features are needed to facilitate the efficient functioning of a Digital
Ecosystem for public enterprises. The benefits of implementing a Digital Ecosystem
to support public enterprises include improved access to information and improved
communication between public enterprises. The findings also revealed that a Digital
Ecosystem could support teamwork, monitoring, evaluation and effective decisionmaking
processes as the information required for decision making would be readily
available. The potential challenges of implementing a Digital Ecosystem for public
enterprises include lack of skills, lack of funds, organisational resistance to change
and lack of awareness of the benefits of a Digital Ecosystem for public enterprises.
In order to overcome these challenges, it is recommended that institutions of higher
learning incorporate Digital Ecosystems into their curriculum, create awareness of
the benefits of Digital Ecosystems to support public enterprises through social media
platforms and government websites as well as provide specialised training to current
employees in public enterprises. The findings of this study will inform key
stakeholders in public enterprises on the prospects of implementing a Digital
Ecosystem.
