City of Tshwane modernizes revenue collection with SAP and Zimele Technologies

The city, which serves around 4-million citizens, had to come up with revenue strategies against a backdrop of numerous challenges.

To address declining revenues and inefficiencies in utility billing, the City of Tshwane launched a major digital transformation initiative focused on improving meter reading accuracy, simplifying payment collection, and enhancing customer engagement.

Facing challenges such as delayed manual meter readings, inaccurate billing, and non-integrated systems, the city partnered with Zimele Technologies under a public-private partnership model. Zimele was tasked with leading the SAP Utilities and CRM transformation and designing a phased roadmap for improvement.

In the short term, the city deployed SAP-based mobile meter reading applications and activated previously unused Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) licenses. These tools improved meter reading accuracy from just 27% to over 90%, helping the city reduce revenue leakages and billing delays.

In the medium term, Tshwane implemented SAP financial management and credit control tools, introduced a Smart Payment Wallet for large power users (LPUs), and shifted LPUs from postpaid to prepaid models. This change significantly shortened the revenue cycle, moving from a 60–90-day delay to real-time, pre-consumption payments.

Long-term efforts include omnichannel customer service via the Sinch Contact Centre and the rollout of a debt management system, all integrated within SAP S/4HANA. A key priority throughout has been improving access and inclusion, with low-tech solutions like USSD enabling more citizens to participate regardless of smartphone access.

Additional benefits include seamless system integration, automated reporting, reduced manual work, and a 360-degree customer view, all contributing to increased revenue collection and service reliability.

“Thanks to SAP and Zimele, we’ve not only improved our financial performance, but also strengthened our relationship with the community,” said Musa Khumalo, Group Head of Shared Services at the City of Tshwane. “The transformation is about more than technology, it’s about sustainability, inclusivity, and building a smarter city.”