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The presence of the digital records management policy enhances the integration of social media records into the content management system of public enterprises. Ngoepe and Saurombe (2016:24) point out that policies and guidelines have an influence on how records in all formats, irrespective of their location, are to be managed by public organisations. However, the policies should be comprehensive, up to date and relevant to the types of records they are designed to give guidance on in terms of how they should be captured, stored and disposed of (Ngoepe & Saurombe 2016:24). However, the benefits of managing social media digital records could only be experienced if the appropriate infrastructures, workable legislation and regulatory frameworks, and competent ICT personnel are available (Ngoepe & Saurombe 2016:24).

The presence of policy guidelines in SOEs would lead to the best practice for the management of social media content as records in electronic format. In the public sector in the USA, NARA affirmed that as social media content is regarded as federal records, they are required to be preserved as archives. In order to manage this form of records, like other paper-based records, NARA (2011) emphasises that a relevant legislative framework needs to be implemented. NARA is responsible for the formulation of policies and guidance on how social media content should be managed (NARA 2013).

In South Africa, only a few studies have been conducted on the formulation of policies regarding the usage of social media and the integration or management of social media content, especially in public sector organisations and SOEs. Mushwana and Bezuidenhout (2014:69) claim that only (44%) of large private organisations and businesses have sound policies as compared to 27.5% of the public-sector organisations that have the same policies. They argue that it is the private sector organisations that effectively applied social media policies (Mushwana &

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Bezuidenhout 2014:69). Mushwana and Bezuidenhout (2014:69) continue to say that even though the policies were formulated quite some time ago, they were not seriously considered as an effective measure for risks related to the use and management of social media content. More organisations in the public sector did not have any policies regarding the management of social media content and those organisations in the public sector that did have them do not adhere to the records management policies in place (Mushwana & Bezuidenhout 2014:69). In the South African public sector, guidelines on the management of social media content have been written by the South African Department of Government Communications and Information Services (GCIS) (GCIS 2011:3). This policy also gives guidelines on how social media should be evaluated and assessed for use by government departments and not only on how they should be integrated in the ECM or other form of ERM system of these departments.

Sipior et al. (2013:352) stress that the best practice for the management of social media content would be successfully applied if relevant guidelines and policies are developed. Social media as a new form of communication tool need to be implemented with well-defined policies and guidelines (Sipior et al. 2013:352). This caution should be applied by SOEs in developing countries, including South Africa. The management of social media content may be solved by the development of the electronic management system or document/records management systems known as Enterprise Content Management Systems (ECM). ECM is the latest development in digital records management systems and is considered the most effective and efficient tool for long-term preservation of electronic records. ECM is a general concept covering document management, web content management, searching, collaboration, records management, digital asset management (DAM), workflow management, capturing and scanning (Katuu 2012:38). The objective of the ECM is to manage the life cycle of content from creation through preservation as archives to disposal. As technologies with several sets of software products, ECM can manage the entire life cycle of content based on organisational policies and regulations that are built in (Katuu 2012:38).

The existence of challenges regarding the management of digital records, especially those that are created in a networked environment or web-based content, is acknowledged by records, information and knowledge management scholars (Ngoepe

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& Saurombe 2016). These challenges, especially in African countries, are perceived as being caused by a lack of proper administration and a lack of ICT infrastructure and skilled employees (Asogwa 2012:198). The colonial masters of African countries failed to formulate proper legislative frameworks regarding archives and records management. This problem of the absence of proper and up-to-date records management policies was passed on from one generation of records managers to another (Asogwa 2012; Ngoepe & Saurombe 2016). The absence of properly skilled and competent ICT personnel in handling web-based content was also cited as another cause of mismanagement of web-based digital records (Asogwa 2012:202). Asogwa (2012) argues that the problem of a lack of skills is mostly noticed among older personnel who are perceived to have developed technophobia regarding web- based records management (Asogwa 2012). Even though the advent of technology and electronic records has brought more benefits for SOEs, it has also brought with it several challenges that increased the possibility of losing electronic records. Not only the risk of losing records has increased, but also the risk of losing the reliability and authenticity of digital records stored and created in a networked environment (Asogwa 2012; Ngoepe & Saurombe 2016). The lack of trained personnel in ICT is also a challenge associated with the mismanagement of social media content. Asogwa (2012) cites other challenges, including corruption or inadequate finance, political instability, poor funding, constantly changing technology and applications, deterioration of digital media, problem of reliability and authenticity or digital records, legal issues and legislative constraints, and loss of security and privacy and issues in backing up records. When records are properly managed and preserved, they become strategic assets that enable organisations to achieve their business goals.