President to earn what? Proposed pay hikes for senior government officials raise eyebrows
Citizens are particularly advised to avoid keeping significant amounts of cash at home, especially in the run-up to the festive season, when criminal activities typically surge. The Remuneration Commission proposes a 4.1% salary increase for top officials, including the President, amid widespread debt and hunger, sparking outrage over the disconnect with South Africans’ harsh economic reality.
Image: Independent Newspapers
Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers has recommended a 4.1 percent salary increase for public office bearers for the 2025/2026 financial year, as millions of citizens battle rising debt and food insecurity.
The recommendation, published in a government gazette this week, proposed increases at the highest levels of government.
If approved, the President's annual salary would rise by about R137,000 to approximately R3.4 million.
The Deputy President would receive an increase of just under R130,000, taking his earnings to around R3.1 million a year.
Cabinet Ministers stand to benefit from an increase of about R110,000, pushing their annual pay to roughly R2.8 million.
Deputy Ministers would earn more than R2.3 million per year under the proposed adjustments.
The announcement comes at a time when ordinary South Africans face relentless financial pressure.
Lower-income households are increasingly overwhelmed by debt, with many turning to informal lenders and loan sharks to cover basic expenses such as food, electricity and school costs.
High interest rates and unstable employment have left families trapped in cycles of borrowing, deepening poverty and desperation.
Against this backdrop, ActionSA has strongly condemned the proposed increases.
The party has tabled a Private Members’ Bill calling for the removal of Deputy Ministers, arguing that their roles offer little value to taxpayers.
ActionSA MP Alan Beesley said this proposed salary increase was unacceptable, inappropriate because office bearers were delivering very little that they are meant to serve.
This included, according to Beesley, 50% of families in our country going to bed hungry over this festive period.
He stated that this was a huge slap in the face for South Africans.
“Nobody knows what deputy ministers do, including themselves,” he said.
While the commission’s recommendation is not final and requires approval, it has once again highlighted the growing disconnect between the country’s political leadership and the harsh economic reality facing millions of South Africans.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za