This paper examines the change drivers and difficulties linked to implementing e-learning in the South African Public Service Sector in line with policy imperatives and global trends. The question of e-learning arose in acontext of a project which aimed to investigate specific contextual variables that need to be addressed to strengthen skills development within the public sector. The study drew upon systems thinking to analyse the South African public service training system as different units within a system. Insights from stakeholder engagement and framework development processes were assessed, and critical emergent themes to inform the e-learning needs of the public sector were identified. The study shows that the catalysing of the uptake and implementation of e-learning within the public sector requires specific tools, time, understanding of the e-learning pedagogical processes, upskilling of digital literacy at all levels, and workable data-free, smartphone friendly training, and communication platforms