Abstract
The attainment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through fostering comprehensive, sustainable and equitable progress remains a significant global endeavor for all nations. South Africa encounters formidable challenges in achieving SDGs, encompassing elevated levels of poverty and inequality, unemployment, and insufficient access to quality education and healthcare. With the emergence of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) which brought about digital technologies that are affecting all sectors of life, delivering services has presented numerous challenges as well. The article evaluates the readiness and preparedness of public sector institutions to utilise digital technologies to enhance and accelerate service delivery to all citizens. The study adopted a qualitative research methodology and data was collected from secondary sources such as journal articles, reports, dissertations, theses and official documents from Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Scopus, JSTOR, and Google. The study has revealed that public sector institutions in South Africa are ready for 4IR to some extent, however preparedness has not been fully considered. Thus, it is for this reason that this study aimed to prove extensively that readiness and preparedness should be used concomitantly. The findings reveal the relevance of the psychology of people and how their preparedness can hinder the significance of 4IR for effective service delivery. The paper concludes by arguing that 4IR readiness and preparedness by public sector institutions are fundamental to addressing service delivery challenges, economic disparities and thus promoting SDGs and creating an inclusive and sustainable future for all.