# Department of Communications and Digital Technologies

The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (formerly the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services and the Department of Communications) is one of the departments of the South African government. It is responsible for overseeing the South African communications, telecommunications and broadcasting industries. The political head of the department is the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, who is assisted by a deputy minister. As of August 2021 the minister is Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and her deputy is Philly Mapulane.
In 2014 President Jacob Zuma renamed the original Department of Communications to the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services, at the same time creating a new Department of Communications with different responsibilities, including propaganda. In June 2019 President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the two departments would be merged to create the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies.

## Ministers through the years

| Term started | Term ended | Minister surname | Minister name(s) | Date of birth | Date of death | Under Prime Minister / President | Political Party |
| 1910 | 1912 | Graaff | David Pieter de Villiers | 30 March 1859 | 13 April 1931 | Botha, L. | South African Party |
| 1912 | 1912 | Leuchars | George | 16 April 1858 | 10 February 1924 | Botha, L. | South African Party |
| 1912 | 1915 | Watt | Thomas | 1857 | 1947 | Botha, L. | South African Party |
| 1915 | 1919 | Beck | Johannes Hendricus Meiring | 28 November 1855 | 15 May 1919 | Botha, L. | South African Party |
| 1919 | 1920 | Orr | Thomas | 1874 | | Smuts, J. C. | South African Party |
| 1920 | 1921 | Graaff | Jacobus Arnoldus Combrinck | 4 March 1863 | 5 April 1927 | Smuts, J. C. | South African Party |
| 1921 | 1924 | Watt | Thomas | 1857 | 1947 | Smuts, J. C. | South African Party |
| 1924 | 1925 | Boydell | Thomas | 1882 | 5 July 1966 | Hertzog, J. B. M. | National Party |
| 1925 | 1928 | Madeley | Walter Bayley | 28 July 1873 | 15 May 1947 | Hertzog, J. B. M. | National Party |
| 1928 | 1929 | Sampson | Henry William | 12 May 1872 | 6 August 1938 | Hertzog, J. B. M. | National Party |
| 1929 | 1945 | Clarkson | Charles Francis | 1881 | 1959 | Hertzog, J. B. M. and Smuts, J. C. | National Party and United Party |
| 1945 | 1950 | Erasmus | Frans Christiaan | 1896 | | Smuts, J. C. | United Party and National Party |
| 1950 | 1954 | Naudé | Jozua Francois | 15 April 1889 | 31 May 1969 | Malan, D. F. | National Party |
| 1954 | 1958 | Serfontein | Jan | | | Strijdom, J. G. | National Party |
| 1958 | 1968 | Hertzog | Johannes Albertus Munnik | 4 July 1899 | 5 November 1982 | Verwoerd, H. F. and Vorster, B. J. | National Party |
| 1968 | 1970 | Janse van Rensburg | Matthys Cornelis Grove | 12 February 1919 | 1970 | Vorster, B. J. | National Party |
| 1970 | 1976 | Viljoen | Marais | 2 December 1915 | 4 January 2007 | Vorster, B. J. | National Party |
| 1976 | 1978 | van der Spuy | Johannes Petrus | 24 November 1912 | 13 September 2003 | Vorster, B. J. | National Party |
| 1978 | 1978 | Smit | Hennie | | | Botha, P. W. | National Party |
| 1978 | 1979 | de Klerk | Frederik Willem | 18 March 1936 | | Botha, P. W. | National Party |
| 1982 | 1984 | Munnik | Lourens Albertus Petrus Anderson | 1925 | 12 July 2016 | Botha, P. W. | National Party |
| 1984 | 1991 | Bartlett | George | 14 March 1931 | 25 March 2010 | de Klerk, F. W. | National Party |
| 1991 | 1994 | Welgemoed | Peter Johannes | 1943 | | de Klerk, F. W. | National Party |
| 1994 | 1996 | Jordan | Zweledinga Pallo | 22 May 1942 | | Mandela, N. R. | ANC |
| 1996 | 1999 | Naidoo | Jayaseelen | 20 December 1954 | | Mandela, N. R. | ANC |
| 1999 | 2009 | Casaburri | Ivy Florence Matsepe | 18 September 1937 | 6 April 2009 | Mbeki, T. M. and Motlanthe, K. P. | ANC |
| 2009 | 2010 | Nyanda | Siphwe | 22 May 1950 | | Zuma, J. G. | ANC |
| 2010 | 2011 | Padayachie | Radhakrishna Lutchmana | 1 May 1950 | 5 May 2002 | Zuma, J. G. | ANC |
| 2011 | 2013 | Pule | Dinah Deliwe | | | Zuma, J. G. | ANC |
| 2013 | 2014 | Carrim | Yunus | | | Zuma, J. G. | ANC |
| 2014 | 2017 | Muthambi | Azwihangwisi Faith | | | Zuma, J. G. | ANC |
| 2017 | 2017 | Dlodlo | Ayanda | 22 May 1963 | | Zuma, J. G. | ANC |
| 2017 | 2018 | Kubayi-Ngubane | Mmamoloko Tryphosa | | | Zuma, J. G. | ANC |
| 2018 | 2018 | Cwele | Siyabonga Cyprian (Communications) | 3 September 1958 | | Ramaphosa, M. C. | ANC |
| 2018 | 2018 | Mokonyane | Nomvula (Telecommunications and Postal Services) | 20 June 1963 | | Ramaphosa, M. C. | ANC |
| 2018 | 2021 | Ndabeni-Abrahams | Stella Tembisa | 30 June 1978 | | Ramaphosa, M. C. | ANC |
| 2021 | 2023 | Ntshavheni | Khumbudzo | 30 January 1977 | | Ramaphosa, M. C. | ANC |
| 2023 | | Gungubele | Mondli | 1 February 1957 | | Ramaphosa, M. C. | ANC |

## Portfolio organisations

Portfolio organisations are those public enterprises (i.e. parastatals) that report to the South African Government via the Ministry of Communications. These are:
* Broadband Infraco [de]
* Independent Communications Authority of South Africa
* South African Post Office
* Sentech
* .za Domain Name Authority (.ZADNA)
* National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa
* Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa
* e-Skills Institute