Linguistic Exclusion in South African E-Governance

Digital platforms offer new avenues for public service access, yet indigenous communities like Xitsonga speakers in South Africa face exclusion due to language barriers in e-government and ICT tools. This qualitative study investigates how integrating Xitsonga into digital spaces can enhance access to essential services, revealing that the current systems marginalise indigenous language users, limiting their government engagement. Framed through Decolonial Theory, Language Rights, and Ubuntu philosophy, the findings reveal that the current systems marginalise indigenous language users, limiting their government engagement. The findings underscore the need for inclusive digital policies and platform design to bridge the digital divide. The study contributes to debates on language equity, digital access, and equitable service delivery, offering actionable recommendations for policymakers.