Abstract
The public sector now views Information and Communication Technology (ICT) governance as a critical strategic element because of digital transformation yet Government Information Technology Officers (GITOs) lack official power to make decisions within their bureaucratic organizational structure. The research investigates how GITOs build their professional identity and gain legitimacy to maintain their power base in South Africa's public-sector ICT governance system. The research uses an actor-centered analytical approach to show that professional identity and legitimacy serve as the main factors which GITOs use to overcome structural barriers instead of examining leadership approaches or organizational governance structures. The research uses 55 semi-structured interviews with GITOs who work in national and provincial and local government institutions to conduct an interpretive qualitative study based on professional identity theory and institutional work. The research shows that GITOs continuously work on their identity through their words and their relationships and their unofficial organizational systems to gain acceptance while using their limited power to shape decisions. The research adds theoretical value to ICT governance studies through its expansion of identity and institutional work theories while demonstrating the need for public sector digital leaders to develop legitimacy-building abilities in restricted organizational environments. The research provides public administration scholars and policymakers with fresh knowledge about digital transformation success through its performance-based and negotiation-focused approach to ICT governance.