Finance chief explains the need for change

Changing the municipal billing system happened for a reason.

- Michelle Pienaar

George Municipality's CFO, Riaan du Plessis, explains that the local authority has, over the past 15 months, begun upgrading systems that are more than 20 years old.

“The old system was no longer able to comply with the requirements of National Treasury and could no longer meet the needs of a growing city. Council approved a new technology strategy in May 2025, with implementation starting in July 2025,” says Du Plessis. “While the transition has caused some short-term disruptions, it is necessary to improve billing, planning, infrastructure response and customer service.”