Pilot
The MzansiXchange Pilot is a one year programme (October 2025 to September 2026) aimed at building the foundation for federated data exchange, developing legal and governance frameworks for long-term adoption, and testing with high-value, real-world use cases.
Task Teams Driving the Pilot
The MzansiXchange Pilot is structured around four dedicated task teams, each responsible for delivering a key component of the initiative. These task teams coordinate efforts across participating departments and partners to ensure a successful rollout.
- Legal & Governance: Establishes the legal framework, governance structures, and data-sharing agreements needed to support secure and compliant data exchange.
- Data Exchange (Technical): Leads the development and deployment of the data exchange platform, including integration with departmental systems and testing various methods of data access —such as real-time, non-real-time, and bulk transfers.
- Organisational Readiness & Integration: Supports selected departments in preparing for onboarding, aligning internal processes, and ensuring operational readiness. These departments serve as use cases to test the platform’s functionality and data-sharing capabilities.
- Standards: Defines and implements metadata, data quality, and interoperability standards to ensure consistency and usability across the exchange.
Together, these task teams form the backbone of the Pilot phase, enabling structured collaboration, technical delivery, and real-world testing of the MzansiXchange platform.
Pilot Use Cases
The MzansiXchange Pilot will test four key data-sharing themes through carefully selected use cases that demonstrate both immediate value to government operations and broader citizen impact. These use cases span different technical approaches and policy domains, providing comprehensive testing of the platform’s capabilities.
Real-time Data Exchange for Regulation, Compliance & Verification
Real-time data sharing enables immediate verification and compliance checking across government services. Pilot use cases include partnerships with the South African Social Security Agency, National Student Financial Aid Scheme, and Department of Home Affairs to streamline citizen services and reduce administrative burdens through instant data verification.
Bulk Data Exchange for Evidence-based Policy, Planning & Research
Large-scale de-identified data sharing supports informed policymaking and research initiatives. The National Treasury Secure Data Facility will serve as a key use case, enabling researchers and policymakers to access comprehensive datasets whilst maintaining strict security and privacy controls.
Data Exchange for Operational Analytics
Operational data sharing improves government efficiency and service delivery. Use cases include National Treasury Office of the Accountant General and the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer, focusing on cross-departmental analytics that enhance procurement processes and financial management.
Data Exchange for Open Access Data Products
Open data initiatives support effective resource allocation and service planning, promote transparency, and enable broader societal benefits. Pilot use cases include the Spatial Economic Activity Data – South Africa (SEAD-SA) platform and Statistics South Africa, making valuable datasets accessible to researchers, businesses, and civil society.
The MzansiXchange pilot is supported by key infrastructure providers including National Treasury, CSIR, and SARB. Open Cities Lab is the appointed technical implementation partner.
Pilot Roadmap
The MzansiXchange Pilot follows a structured 12-month timeline with key milestones spanning technical development, governance and standards establishment, and use case implementation:
Q4 2025
(Oct – Dec 2025)
- Establish governance structures for short-term
- Legal framework in development
- Sandbox environment ready for 3rd party integration
- Data dictionary, metadata, and data quality standards definition
- Use Case Playbook published
Q1 2026
(Jan – Mar 2026)
- First Department of Home Affairs to SASSA use case implemented and in testing
- Mid-pilot evaluation and adjustments
- Initial user training and capacity building
Q2 2026
(Apr – Jun 2026)
- Additional use cases in progress
- Draft data exchange legislation ready for consolidation with broader digital transformation efforts
- Transition planning for post-pilot scaling and production environment
Q3 2026
(Jul – Sep 2026)
- Long-term governance model finalisation
- Kick off post-pilot use cases with clear implementation pathway
- Implementation kicked off for production migration
- Pilot evaluation and impact assessment
Beyond the Pilot
The MzansiXchange Pilot serves as the foundation for a transformative shift towards a fully federated data ecosystem across South African government. Success in the pilot phase will enable rapid scaling and evolution of the platform.
Scaling to Full Federation
Following the pilot, MzansiXchange will transition from initial centralised coordination to a fully distributed ecosystem where departments can share data directly with minimal central oversight. This evolution will incorporate lessons learned from pilot operations whilst expanding to include additional participants sharing production data that benefits citizens and serves the public.
Sustainable Governance Framework
The pilot will establish the foundation for long-term sustainability through comprehensive governance structures, legal frameworks, and operational protocols. This includes determining the optimal legislative environment and developing clear accountability mechanisms that support the long-term vision of the MzansiXchange.
Distributed Technical Capacity
A key focus beyond the pilot involves building distributed technical expertise across member departments. This includes formalising training programmes, developing internal capacity for platform management, and creating support networks that enable departments to operate independently whilst maintaining interoperability standards.
Broader Ecosystem Integration
The mature MzansiXchange will serve as a cornerstone of South Africa’s Digital Public Infrastructure, enabling seamless integration with provincial and municipal systems and facilitating data exchange partnerships that advance national development goals.