Seen Here: The State Information Technology Agency (SITA) says planned maintenance linked to its migration to a new internet service provider is progressing according to schedule, with affected government digital services expected to be restored by 17:00 on Sunday, 25 October 2026. The maintenance may temporarily affect government websites, email services, internet connectivity, VPN connections and key systems, including BAS and Logis. SITA says technical teams are monitoring the process and will verify affected services once the work is complete. The agency is also implementing measures to address identified PHP vulnerabilities affecting websites it supports. Photo Credit: Sourced
The state technology agency says its major internet service migration is progressing according to schedule, with affected government websites, email platforms and digital systems expected to be restored by Sunday afternoon.
PRETORIA, South Africa | 24 October 2026 — The State Information Technology Agency (SITA) says planned maintenance on its government internet services environment is progressing according to schedule, with services expected to be restored by 17:00 on Sunday, 25 October 2026.
The maintenance, which began at 17:00 on Friday, 23 October, forms part of SITA’s migration to a new internet service provider. The agency says the transition is intended to strengthen the security, stability and resilience of the technology infrastructure supporting government institutions across South Africa.
Given the number of public institutions and digital services dependent on the affected environment, SITA has classified the operation as a significant technical change.
While the work continues, government departments, municipalities, public entities and other affected institutions may experience intermittent disruptions or reduced availability across several essential digital services.
The maintenance comes as government increasingly relies on interconnected digital platforms to support administration, financial management, communication and service delivery.
Government websites and essential digital services affected
SITA has warned that disruptions may affect a range of government technology services until the maintenance window is completed.
Potentially affected systems include:
- Internet connectivity, email and web services.
- Transversal government systems, including the Basic Accounting System (BAS) and Logistical Information System (Logis).
- Inter-VPN connections and remote virtual private network services.
- Services associated with the .gov.za government domain.
These services support communication, access to government information, financial administration and secure connections between institutions.
Consequently, interruptions may affect the ability of some departments and public entities to access online platforms or carry out certain digital operations during the maintenance period.
SITA has emphasised that the work is planned and approved, rather than an unannounced service interruption.
However, the agency’s notice does not indicate that every government website or system will necessarily be affected. The extent of any disruption may vary depending on the services used by individual institutions.
New internet service provider migration aims to strengthen resilience
According to SITA, the maintenance forms part of a broader technical transition intended to improve the security and reliability of the environment through which it provides internet services to government.
The agency’s role in supporting interconnected public-sector systems means that changes to its infrastructure require careful coordination and testing.
SITA said it had engaged directly with affected national and provincial government departments, public entities, municipalities and other institutions before the maintenance began.
These engagements were intended to ensure that clients understood the maintenance schedule, anticipated potential disruptions and put appropriate business-continuity arrangements in place.
Institutions were also given an opportunity to communicate with their own stakeholders ahead of the planned work.
Dedicated technical teams, working alongside relevant service providers and client institutions, are monitoring the migration throughout the maintenance window.
Once the work is completed, the teams will verify the affected services to assess their availability and confirm the stability of the environment.
SITA assures clients that technical teams are monitoring progress
Tlali Tlali, SITA’s Head of Department: Corporate Affairs, said the maintenance was part of the agency’s responsibility to maintain a secure and dependable technology environment for government.
“SITA has a critical responsibility to maintain a secure, stable and resilient ICT environment in support of government. This maintenance is part of the disciplined technical work required to strengthen that environment and support the continuity of government operations,” Tlali said.
He added that the migration remained on schedule and that technical teams would continue working throughout the maintenance period to minimise disruption.
“The work is proceeding in a controlled manner and remains on schedule. Our teams will continue working throughout the maintenance window to minimise disruption, restore services as planned and confirm the stability of the environment,” he said.
Tlali said the agency remained in direct contact with its clients and would continue providing updates until the work had been completed and the affected services fully assessed.
The agency has also undertaken to issue a further update if there is any material change to the maintenance schedule or the expected restoration time.
PHP vulnerabilities also under scrutiny
In a separate but related technology-security concern, SITA said it was aware of global PHP vulnerabilities and was actively implementing remediation measures to address identified weaknesses and secure affected websites supported by the agency.
PHP is a widely used programming language for developing websites and web applications. Vulnerabilities in software components can expose systems to security risks if they are not appropriately assessed and addressed.
SITA did not provide further technical details in its statement about the specific vulnerabilities, the number of affected websites or the precise remediation measures being implemented.
The agency’s announcement therefore distinguishes between the scheduled internet service migration and its ongoing work to address the identified software vulnerabilities.
The two issues highlight the importance of maintaining reliable public-sector digital infrastructure while ensuring that the systems supporting government websites and services remain secure.
What the public and government clients should know
SITA has advised members of the public that, unless otherwise communicated, interruptions to government websites or online services before 17:00 on Sunday, 25 October, should be understood in the context of the planned maintenance.
Members of the public who encounter difficulties accessing online services during the announced window should note that availability may be affected while the technical work continues.
Government institutions, meanwhile, are expected to rely on their business-continuity arrangements where necessary and remain in contact with SITA regarding services essential to their operations.
The agency has apologised for the inconvenience and thanked its client institutions for their cooperation.
Although the scheduled restoration time provides an expected endpoint for the maintenance, the final assessment of affected systems remains important to confirming that services are operating reliably following the migration.
A critical test for government digital infrastructure
The maintenance highlights the complex technical coordination required to support the digital systems on which South Africa’s public institutions depend.
Migrating internet services while managing security requirements and maintaining continuity across numerous government clients requires careful implementation, monitoring and post-migration verification.
For SITA, the immediate priority is to complete the work within the announced window, restore affected services and establish that the environment is stable.Editor’s update: SITA’s announcement was issued on 24 October 2026 and gave 17:00 on Sunday, 25 October, as the expected restoration deadline. As that deadline has now passed, the agency’s latest service-status communication should be checked before publication to confirm whether the maintenance was completed as planned and whether any disruptions remain.
📌 Important: The announced restoration deadline has passed. Government departments and members of the public should consult SITA’s latest official update for confirmation of service availability.
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