The inmate telephone system will be rolled out to 243 correctional centres (Image source: iStock) It is a good week for the IT industry, with National Treasury’s eTenders Portaloffering a mix of requests for targeted, specialised or wide-reaching solutions. However, it is the telecommunications sector that gets a rare boost this week, with both the national departments of agriculture and correctional services targeting the health of their communication systems. The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) takes the top spot in this regard with its advertisement for an inmate communication system. This forms part of its efforts to modernise its correctional system to provide a reliable, secure ICT infrastructure and business application systems.“The department is currently incarcerating about 166 000 inmates across its correctional facilities nation-wide. In the past, the inmate telephone system operated on copper technology and has deteriorated due to old infrastructure,” it explains. “As a result, inmates lack alternative means to communicate with their loved ones due to unavailability of support for the current system.”The inmate telephone system will be rolled out to 243 correctional centres and the appointed service provider will be responsible for the design, supply, installation, configuration, integration, commissioning, operation, training, support and maintenance of the inmate communication system across all designated correctional facilities. “The solution should be integrated into relevant DCS systems, as far as the procurement and handling of airtime for telephone by the inmates using their cash from inmate cash system is concerned,” the department stipulates. The scope of work will include:Telephony servicesAdministration and security interfacesMonitoring, recording and reportingData storage and securityNetwork and infrastructureService levels and supportCompliance and governance Future expansion The Department of Correctional Services will hold a non-compulsory briefing on 27 August before submissions close on 14 September. Other tenders that make this week’s top 10: The South African Revenue Service wishes to appoint a supplier for the provision of end-user device support services. The organisation estimates this will involve 30 150 devices across 155 sites located countrywide. Postbank is looking for a qualified and experienced service provider to deliver comprehensive information security and cyber security services. It says the objective is to ensure its critical banking infrastructure and office productivity environments are fully protected against cyber threats, including ransomware, insider threats, data breaches and service disruptions.The financial services organisation also wishes to procure an integrated IT service management (ITSM) and case management solution with OCR and automation capabilities. This is required to replace legacy call logging systems; automate case creation; support ITIL processes and banking operations workflows; comply with regulations; provide workflow management; auto-push work to agents and automated report creation; and enable auto-responses to clients and customer query tracking. The contract will include a five-year support and maintenance period.The Road Accident Fund (RAF) is looking for a service provider to supply and implement a cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) solution, including maintenance and support for five years. The fund explains the IAM solution is a key component of its desired security landscape. A key requirement for the new solution will be to ensure the right individuals have the appropriate access to the right resources at the right time by seamlessly integrating with the RAF's internal systems and other third-party platforms, enabling the automation and streamlining of IAM processes, it says.The RAF is also calling for the licensing, hosting, maintenance, support and enhancement of the Nyalazone digital customer engagement (DCE) and Leggero platform. The fund says the solution is used as its primary customer relationship management (CRM) and omnichannel customer engagement solution supporting customer interactions across multiple service channels, including e-mail, SMS, WhatsApp, live chat, chatbot, social media, USSD, web self-service, mobile application and telephony integrations.Eskom is inviting bids for the provision and implementation of a comprehensive and supported financial risks management and analytics system for its treasury department, designed for management and hedging of Eskom portfolio risks. The utility says the new system will be used to replace and consolidate the risks management systems currently in use, into one solution, as these contracts with the Vendors are expiring soon. The system will enable Treasury to optimise costs regarding their funding programme and to actively manage and hedge the Eskom book of more than R400 billion.The Department of Agriculture wishes to appoint a service provider for the supply, installation, repair, maintenance and support on its telecommunication hardware and software. The department says this will also include the expansion of VOIP infrastructure in the department, including replacement of faulty parts when required. However, it states it will not be replacing the existing PABXs.National Treasury through the Office of the Accountant-General is inviting suitably qualified service providers to submit information for the maintenance, support, enhancement and further development of the existing National Treasury-owned SafetyWeb Banking System. The department says the SafetyWeb system is a critical banking, payment validation and fraud prevention application that supports the banking services provided by the OAG and is used by Pay Master General (PMG) users and authorised users from national departments and other participating government entities. It supports payment processing and banking operations, while performing critical validation, verification and fraud prevention controls to help ensure that only authorised, accurate and legitimate payment transactions are processed, thereby reducing the risk of duplicate, invalid, unauthorised and fraudulent payments, it says.National government’s finance department is also looking for information on the development of a compliance, risk assessment and monitoring (CRAM) tool. National Treasury says that currently compliance officers, supply chain practitioners, risk managers, and senior officials within government institutions use manual processes to monitor SCM compliance. Compliance risk assessment and monitoring tools play a critical role in helping institutions evaluate their existing compliance frameworks, prioritise risks, and implement improvement plans aligned with regulatory requirements and industry standards.South African Revenue ServiceSARS wishes to appoint a supplier for the provision of end-user device support services (tower E) for five years.Compulsory briefing: 28 August – Meeting ID: 393 752 661 083 692 Passcode/Password: qt7ar2XoTender no: RFP 02/2026Information: Tender Office, Tel: 081-037-9162, E-mail: tenderoffice@sars.gov.zaClosing date: 14 September 2026Tags: hardware, computing, printers, services, support and maintenancePostbank SOCA qualified and experienced service provider is sought to deliver comprehensive information security and cyber security services for three years.Non-compulsory briefing: 31 August – Microsoft TeamsTender no: 04/06/26-27Information: Wilfred Vusi Maditsi, Tel:076-706-9269, E-mail: Vusi.Maditsi@Postbank.co.zaClosing date: 18 September 2026Tags: software, security, services, cyber security, information securityThe financial services organisation also wishes to procure an ITSM tool and case management solution, including five-year support and maintenance.Tender no: RFP 04/05/26-27Information: Lihle Cindi, Tel:074-032-1111, E-mail: Lihle.Cindi@Postbank.co.zaClosing date: 14 September 2026Tags: software, IT service management, ITSM, case management solution, services, support and maintenance Department of Correctional ServicesThe department is calling for an inmate communication system for 15 years. Contract reviewable for every five years.Non-compulsory briefing: 27 August – Microsoft Teams, LinkTender no: HO3/2026Information: Kopano Ntsoane, Tel: 012-305-8274, E-mail: Kopano.Ntsoane@dcs.gov.zaClosing date: 14 September 2026Tags: telecommunications, telephony, communicationsRoad Accident FundThe RAF is looking for a service provider to supply and implement a cloud-based identity and access management solution, including maintenance and support for five years. Non-compulsory briefing: 7 September, Microsoft Teams, LinkTender no: RAF/2026/00051Information: Bathabile Mahlangu, Tel:012-621-1719, E-mail: bathabilem@raf.co.zaClosing date: 28 September 2026Tags: software, security, identity and access management, IAM, services, support and maintenanceThe fund is also calling for the licensing, hosting, maintenance, support and enhancement of the Nyalazone digital customer engagement and Leggero platform for 36 months.Non-compulsory briefing: 28 August – Microsoft Teams, LinkTender no: RAF/2026/00052Information: Matome Ramathoka, Tel:012-649-2015, E-mail: matomer@raf.co.zaClosing date: 17 September 2026Tags: software, software licensing, hosting, software development, services, support and maintenanceEskomThe utility is inviting bids for the provision and implementation of a comprehensive and supported financial risks management and analytics system for its treasury department, designed for management and hedging of Eskom portfolio risks. Non-compulsory briefing: 28 August – Microsoft TeamsTender no: E3380GCDMWPInformation: Wendy Nduneni, Tel:011-800-4824, E-mail: Ndunenw@eskom.co.zaClosing date: 14 September 2026Tags: software, analytics, risk management, GRCDepartment of AgricultureThe national department wishes to appoint a service provider for the supply, installation, repair, maintenance and support on the telecommunication hardware and software for 36 months. Compulsory briefing: 25 AugustNote: 80/20 Preference point system will apply for this bid.Tender no: 5/2/2/1(003)2026-2027Information: Alta Vermaak, Tel:012-319-6202, E-mail: AltaV@nda.gov.zaClosing date: 10 September 2026Tags: telecommunications, software, hardware, services, support and maintenanceNational TreasuryInformation is sought for the maintenance, support, enhancement and further development of the existing National Treasury Safetyweb Banking System for three years.Tender no: RFI001-2026Information: Tel:012-406-9007, E-mail: NTAdministrativeTenders@Treasury.gov.zaClosing date: 4 September 2026Tags: software, software development, services, support and maintenance The finance department is also looking for information on the development of a compliance, risk assessment and monitoring tool. Tender no: RFI002-2026Information: Tel:012-406-9007, E-mail: NTAdministrativeTenders@Treasury.gov.zaClosing date: 4 September 2026Tags: software, compliance, risk assessment and monitoring, CRAM, governance, risk and compliance, GRC
Top ICT tenders: Inmates to get telecoms upgrade
The Department of Correctional Services calls for an inmate communication system to replace its deteriorated infrastructure.
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