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The purpose of the study was to explore the contribution and determinants of employee engagement (EE) in the public sector.

A cross-sectional survey was used based on a deductive research approach. Data were collected and analysed quantitatively. The quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire from a sample of 248 civil servants.

Research findings indicate that prioritising the development of engaged workers reap substantial rewards for organisations in terms of productivity, efficiency and effectiveness. Findings further show that employees who are involved at work have been shown to perform better than their colleagues. The research accordingly recommends organisations to invest in ensuring EE as this has direct link to outcomes related to performance, which ultimately leads to optimisation of organisational resources and competitive advantage.

The study provides a critical analysis of the factors that determine EE in the public sector. EE, as a driver of public sector organisational effectiveness, is an area of research that has received little attention in the African milieu. This research provides a detailed understanding of EE as a tool for improving public sector performance and, as a result, lowering the performance gap and waste. EE is a product of the structural characteristics of the organisation as well as the parameters within which psychological presence of an employee is activated. EE, therefore, engenders employee support to pursue organisational goals in a coordinated system of collaboration.