Abstract
Social media platforms have become intertwined with our daily lives. The frequent use of these platforms has impacted individuals, businesses, and government. The South African government has embraced social media as a vanguard behind the move towards collaborative communications, increased citizen participation and efficient service delivery; however at local government level many municipalities have been faced with ongoing challenges in their efforts. This study explores social media use at metropolitan municipalities in Gauteng. To obtain detailed information, the researcher conducted eight in-depth interviews with government communicators responsible for creating, implementing, and monitoring government messaging on social media. The in-depth interviews and the open-ended nature of the questions gave the researcher insight into the participants’ minds as they gave personalised responses. For this study, a non-probability, purposive sampling method was appropriate. After the data collection process, a thematic analysis was conducted. Challenges were identified using a thematic analysis namely legal, administrative, technological, and socio-economic issues hindering effective social media adoption in municipalities. A lack of support from management, ICT (information communication technology) skill deficits and a lack of compliance to the government communication policy are the dominant obstacles to effective social media use in municipalities in Gauteng. The study further reveals that social media can be used as a brand marketing strategy for municipalities. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (Now known as X) can provide a direct line of communication between citizens, thus enabling real-time interactions and an exchange of information and experiences. This study delves into the ways in which municipalities can harness the power of social media to captivate citizens by crafting compelling content that resonates with them. This study contributes to the broader discussion of social media adoption within the South African government context. Furthermore, the study will help municipalities prioritise and align social media strategies with their communication plans. This study is a constructive step towards developing a successful solution and effective implementation of social media in government communications.