Community Systems Foundation supported the Department of Basic Education in modernising its national Education Management Information System through the adoption and self-deployment of OpenEMIS. The project introduced a new partnership model in which the Department worked directly with CSF and UNESCO to configure, enhance, and deploy an integrated EMIS solution. OpenEMIS was positioned as a modernised successor to South Africa’s existing School Administration and Management System, enabling a more robust and future-ready education data infrastructure. The initiative focused on ensuring that the system met the functional and reporting requirements of the national education sector. CSF provided hands-on technical assistance to support implementation planning and system configuration. Strong emphasis was placed on capacity building to enable government ownership and long-term sustainability. Departmental software development and delivery teams worked closely with the OpenEMIS Lab to enhance system functionality. This collaboration ensured adherence to international software development standards and open-source best practices. The project also enabled South Africa to actively contribute to the global OpenEMIS community. Training was delivered on OpenEMIS development standards, procedures, and governance. As a result, national teams were empowered to manage, maintain, and extend the system independently. The initiative strengthened national leadership in education data governance. It also reinforced South Africa’s role as a contributor to global digital public goods in education.