EXPLORING THE LANDSCAPE OF DEMAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN PUBLIC HEALTH SECTOR IN THE GAUTENG PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

This paper aims to examine the demand management practices implemented within public health sector institutions in Gauteng, South Africa. The study adopted a quantitative survey approach, where structured questionnaires were distributed to 235 demand management practitioners across various public health facilities in the province. A total of 207 completed questionnaires were returned, resulting in a high response rate of 88.08%, which strengthens the reliability and credibility of the findings.The results indicate that, although demand management practices are formally recognised within the public health sector, their implementation remains constrained by several significant challenges. These include weaknesses in organisational structures, ineffective demand management techniques, limited budget allocations, and poor alignment between demand planning and institutional strategic objectives. Furthermore, inconsistencies in the application and interpretation of supply chain management (SCM) policies, regulations, and specifications were identified as additional barriers affecting effective demand management. The limited and inconsistent implementation of demand management in public sector organisations highlights a concerning misalignment between strategic goals, demand planning, and operational processes. This misalignment ultimately leads to inefficiencies and a potential loss of value for public institutions, particularly in a sector as critical as public health. Strengthening coordination between strategic planning and demand management processes is therefore essential to enhance service delivery, optimise resource utilisation, and improve overall organisational performance. Since the study was confined to Gauteng Province, the findings may not fully represent the situation in other provinces. Future research should be conducted in other regions of South Africa to provide comparative insights and determine whether similar challenges exist across the broader public health sector. Such studies could contribute to the development of more standardised and effective demand management frameworks at a national level.