By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa approved a 3.8% salary increase for the ministers, deputy ministers and the Members of Parliament in the National Assembly.
The approval of the above-inflation pay-hike comes following the recommendation from the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers in December 2025.
The commission had recommended an increase of 4.1% for politicians, but the final, approved rate was 0.3 percentage points lower at 3.8% for the National Executive and Parliament.
However, the approved rates for the Provincial Legislature were in line with the 4.1% recommendation.
Ramaphosa’s approval of the salary increase is published by notice in the government gazette.
The salary packages are to be backdated to April 2025.
It puts the annual salary of Deputy President Paul Mashatile at R3.2 million, that of ministers at R2.7 million, while deputy ministers are to earn R2.2 million.
In terms of the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act, the president sets salary ceilings for public office bearers.
The president’s salary is not included in this schedule, since his salary is approved by Parliament. His salary is currently R3.35 million and will increase to R3.5 million if commission’s recommendation is approved.
The approved 3.8% increase still falls within that range and exceeds inflation, but is lower than the public service wage agreement, which saw public servants’ wages hiked by 5.5% from April 2025.
Over the past decade, the government wage bill has decreased as a share of consolidated spending, falling from 35.7% in 2013/14 to 32.1% in 2023/24.
By 2027/28, the wage bill is projected to decrease to 31.4% of consolidated spending; however, this still remains a massive budget item.
The salary increase has not been received well by trade unions and political parties, who says the pay hikes are out of touch and come against a backdrop of government failures.