Strategies for the preservation of electronic records in South Africa: implications on access to information

Abstract

The preservation of electronic records for continued access is a major
challenge of national archives around the globe. These records are fragile due
to the high pace of technological changes resulting in obsolescence. Therefore, the preservation of electronic records is a challenging exercise that requires appropriate preparation and strategies. In South Africa, the national and provincial archives have a mandate to preserve and make records accessible, including those which are generated electronically. This paper investigates the strategies adopted by national and provincial archival institutions in South Africa for the preservation of electronic records. A qualitative survey was conducted on existing national and provincial archival institutions in South Africa. The key findings of the study revealed a lack of infrastructure to ingest electronic records into archival custody in both national and provincial archives. The paper concludes by arguing that insufficient attention to the preservation of electronic records could lead to a future situation where access to an enormous quantity of important government records could be denied.