In what is set to become a powerful solution for eliminating ghost workers and saving millions of rand in public funds, software provider NKUSI IT Siyasebenza has developed a cutting-edge workforce management platform designed to accurately track, verify, and manage public sector employees.
Dubbed Smart-Track Siyasebenza, the Microsoft-based digital attendance tracking platform has been successfully rolled out by the Eastern Cape department of transport to oversee more than 30,000 Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) participants across all six districts in the province.
Since its inception, the EPWP has frequently been targeted by unscrupulous individuals exploiting manual attendance systems through ghost worker schemes.
Smart-Track aims to close these loopholes through a secure offline mobile solution that enables field supervisors to clock contractors in and out with tamper-proof accuracy.
“The Smart Track Siyasebenza app provides a reliable, verifiable, and tamper-proof account of who is at work, what time they arrived, when they left, and calculates how much they are owed,” said NKUSI IT founding director and CEO, Nkululeko Silimela.
Before supervisors can clock in workers, they must first authenticate themselves by scanning their smart ID cards against a live database.
The app then uses facial recognition technology to verify that the supervisor matches the profile stored in the system.
“It has built-in intelligence checks ensuring the image taken is valid, allowing only verifiable supervisors to use the clock-in functionality.
“The app is also capable of giving the location of the device, enabling managers at head office to understand where workers are operating from,” Silimela said.
Because the mobile tool operates offline, it functions seamlessly even in remote, rural parts of the province with poor connectivity. Once authenticated, supervisors scan each worker’s ID card or use facial recognition if an employee has forgotten or lost their physical card.
The system relies on Microsoft Azure Maps to provide GPS verification, confirming that workers are physically present at approved job sites.
Microsoft Dataverse and Power Automate capture data and log payroll integration in real-time, while Power BI provides live monitoring dashboards for administrators. Every transaction is logged for complete audit readiness.
The Eastern Cape transport department employs most of the province’s 30,000-strong EPWP workforce across road maintenance and facility projects.
The EPWP was launched on April 1 2004.
NKUSI IT Siyasebenza is currently in discussions with several municipalities and public entities to deploy the platform more broadly. With an estimated two million individuals on the national public sector payroll, Silimela believes the tool can safeguard the public purse.
“It is believed the public sector is losing hundreds of millions of rand yearly due to ghost workers. Smart-Track ensures every cent from government reaches deserving hands.”
