SA ministers to earn R2.68m per year, excluding homes and VIP protection

The increase in ministerial positions for the government of national unity (GNU) has raised questions about the cost of South Africa’s bloated Cabinet.

The annual salaries for the 32 ministers and 42 deputy ministers will reach a little over R180 million per year alone. Ministers will get R2.68 million, while their deputies will pocket R2.2 million, annually.

Additionally, the parliamentary executives are collectively allocated R500 million for private security and an additional R390 million for support staff.

Over R1 billion annually for Cabinet

Choosing to not participate in the GNU, but rather apply pressure from the opposition benches, ActionSA highlighted the cost of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet.  

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ActionSA president Herman Mashaba accused the ANC and DA of forgetting their principles when the possibility for personal gain presented itself.

“South Africans have been calling for a reduction in the size of Cabinet for years given that our country has one of the largest cabinets in the world in the context of a country where most of its citizens languish in poverty and struggle to keep up with the cost of living,” stated Mashaba.

‘Cut Cabinet Perks Bill’

Just over a year ago, the DA themselves tabled a Bill that wished to implement a periodic review of the amounts spent on benefits made available via the ministerial handbook.

New home affairs minister Leon Schreiber began promoting the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Amendment Bill in May 2023.

“South African taxpayers are forced to pay close to R1 billion every year to fund perks such as VIP security, support staff, luxury vehicles, as well as free water and electricity for cabinet cadres,” wrote Schreiber in 2023 when the salaries were fractionally lower.

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The Citizen did reach out to the DA to ask if they would pursue the Bill or aim to cut cabinet expenditure, but no response had been received at the time of publication.

Minister salaries comparable to SETA CEOs

High salaries are commonplace throughout the public sector.

In a February 2023 written parliamentary question from the DA’s Jan de Villiers, then minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande revealed the salaries paid to the executives of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETA) within his portfolio.

There were 24 such entities with each CEO earning at least R2 million.

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The highest was the Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA) CEO who earned R 3.6 million per annum, followed by the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SERVICES SETA) who was on a R2.8 million annual package.

Each of the 24 entities had at least three executives who earned between R1.5 and R2 million per year.