President Cyril Ramaphosa has approved a new salary structure for South Africa’s political office-bearers, implementing increases for the 2025/26 financial year based on recommendations from the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers. The decision, published in a Government Gazette, has ignited immediate public controversy for its timing and scale amid a severe economic downturn.
The Commission had recommended an across-the-board increase of 4.1%. However, President Ramaphosa exercised his discretion to adjust the figures. He approved a slightly reduced increase of 3.8% for national executive, legislative, and judicial office-bearers. Provincial executives and legislators will receive the full recommended 4.1% increase.
The New Salary Scales (Effective April 1, 2025):
- National Level (3.8% Increase):
- The President’s salary will increase from approximately R3.2 million to R3.32 million per annum.
- Deputy President and Ministers will see their annual pay rise to R2.79 million.
- Deputy Ministers will earn R2.34 million.
- Members of Parliament (MPs) will have their salaries increased to R1.32 million.
- Provincial Level (4.1% Increase):
- Premiers will earn R2.64 million annually.
- Members of Provincial Legislatures (MPLs) will see their salaries rise to R1.11 million.
The increases are backdated to April 1, 2025. The Gazette stipulates that the adjustments are based on the consumer price inflation (CPI) rate of 3.5% recorded in November 2025, and the broader economic conditions as assessed by the Commission.
Immediate Public and Union Backlash
The announcement has been met with swift criticism from opposition parties, labour unions, and civil society, who deem it tone-deaf and unjust.
- Comparison to Public Servants: The most pointed criticism centers on the disparity with the recent 5.5% wage increase for public service workers, including nurses, teachers, and police officers. Unions argue that while frontline workers, who have been in protracted wage negotiations, secured a hike after intense pressure, politicians have granted themselves a near-parallel increase with far less public scrutiny or struggle. “It is an insult to the hardworking public servants who keep the country running,” stated a spokesperson for the Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA).
- Economic Context: Critics highlight the stark contrast between the increases and the country’s bleak economic outlook. The South African Reserve Bank projects GDP growth of just 1.4% for 2026, with unemployment remaining critically high and millions of citizens reliant on social grants. “At a time when the government is pleading poverty to justify austerity measures, cutting social spending, and failing to fill critical vacancies, this self-awarded raise is indefensible,” said an opposition MP.
- Perception of a “Self-Serving Elite”: The move reinforces a damaging public perception of a political class insulating itself from the economic hardships faced by ordinary citizens. Analysts note it risks further eroding trust in government and fueling social discontent.
Government Justification
In its report, the Independent Commission argued that the adjustments were necessary to maintain the “real value” of the salaries to attract and retain skilled individuals in public office. The Presidency, in a brief statement accompanying the Gazette, noted that the President had moderated the increase for national officials below the commission’s recommendation as a measure of fiscal prudence.
However, this justification has done little to quell the anger. The debate is set to intensify in Parliament and in the public sphere, framing the increases as a test of political leadership’s sensitivity to the national mood during a period of profound economic strain.
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