The National Budget of South Africa is the annual financial plan presented by the Minister of Finance to Parliament . It outlines how the government expects to raise revenue and how that money will be allocated across departments and programs for the coming financial year. The budget is built on national priorities set through medium term planning.[ 2] Revenue comes mainly from taxes, including personal income tax, corporate income tax, and value added tax. Spending areas include education, health, social development, and economic development. The National Treasury prepares the budget and monitors its implementation throughout the year.
National Budget
South African national government budget overview for the financial year 2025/26.
Budget Revenue
Consolidated Budget Revenue (R billion) [ 3] [ 4] [ 5] [ 6] [ 7] [ 8] [ 9] [ 10] [ 1]
Fiscal Year
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
2020/21
2021/22
2022/23
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26
Personal Income Tax
482.1
505.8
552.9
546.8
516.0
587.9
640.3
738.7
792.5
VAT
312.8
348.1
360.5
360.6
370.2
439.7
471.5
476.7
482.2
Corporate Income Tax
218.7
231.2
229.6
230.2
213.1
269.9
336.1
302.7
338.8
Trade & Tariffs
53.6
54.1
61.3
60.6
54.0
62.5
76.6
78.7
84.2
Other Taxes
198.3
205.8
217.9
227.2
211.8
238.4
263.0
266.2
287.9
Non-Tax Revenue
148.6
145.7
161.6
158.5
155.3
172.2
171.4
173.6
215.2
Total
1414.1
1490.7
1583.8
1583.9
1520.4
1770.6
1958.9
2036.6
2200.8
Expenditure Overview
Consolidated Government Expenditure (R billion) [ 3] [ 4] [ 5] [ 6] [ 7] [ 8] [ 9] [ 10] [ 1]
Fiscal Year
2017/18
2018/19
2019/20
2020/21
2021/22
2022/23
2023/24
2024/25
2025/26
Economic Development
Economic Infrastructure and Regulation
89.5
97.9
101.3
105.3
93.1
117.5
124.9
146.1
175.5
Industrialisation And Trade
28.9
32.9
37.5
39.0
36.2
39.2
40.5
39.1
40.8
Employment and Labour
75.9
23.3
23.2
22.4
33.4
27.5
24.6
22.2
23.7
Agriculture and Rural Development
26.5
30.2
30.7
28.3
27.4
24.8
27.8
27.7
29.4
Innovation, Science and Technology
20.6
15.8
16.5
16.4
17.4
18.1
19.8
20.7
20.2
Total
241.6
200.1
209.2
211.5
207.5
227.1
237.6
255.4
289.8
Defence & Security
Police Services
93.8
99.1
104.2
106.1
104.6
110.2
112.1
125.0
133.4
Defence And State Security
54.0
48.4
50.0
51.4
48.5
50.8
52.7
54.4
59.7
Law Courts And Prisons
43.8
45.4
48.4
49.6
46.7
50.0
51.4
53.5
57.2
Home Affairs
7.2
7.9
8.4
9.9
8.9
9.7
11.1
11.1
12.9
Total
198.7
200.8
211.0
217.0
208.6
220.7
227.3
244.0
263.2
Governance
Public Administration And Fiscal Affairs
43.9
40.4
41.6
47.3
46.1
46.1
48.1
49.1
53.7
Executive And Legislative Organs
14.3
16.0
16.2
14.6
14.5
14.8
16.8
17.0
17.8
External Affairs
12.4
7.6
7.6
8.2
7.9
8.3
8.4
8.5
9.1
Total
70.7
64.0
65.3
70.0
68.4
69.2
73.6
74.7
80.7
Education & Culture
Basic Education
216.7
230.4
250.4
248.6
255.1
282.8
293.7
303.0
329.2
University Transfers
31.6
34.9
37.0
44.8
45.6
48.7
45.1
47.7
48.4
National Student Financial Aid Scheme
15.3
22.8
33.3
37.1
37.3
46.1
50.1
53.6
55.4
Skills Development Levy Institutions
21.1
19.3
21.7
21.0
21.3
21.7
24.3
28.6
27.9
Education Administration
15.8
16.8
17.6
17.8
19.6
18.0
18.5
19.4
21.6
Technical and Vocational Education and Training
7.4
10.7
12.7
13.4
13.0
12.6
13.3
13.6
14.2
Arts, Sports, Recreation and Culture
10.4
10.7
11.3
11.7
11.0
11.8
12.0
12.1
12.5
Total
320.5
351.1
386.4
396.4
402.9
441.5
457.1
480.6
505.6
Health
District Health Services
83.6
90.2
98.2
102.0
105.5
115.7
113.1
120.0
130.9
Central Hospital Services
35.9
38.6
43.1
44.7
51.4
49.4
48.6
52.8
57.8
Provincial Hospital Services
32.3
34.3
36.7
37.6
44.1
42.4
40.2
47.5
48.5
Other Health Services
25.8
33.8
35.6
35.4
38.1
40.4
46.1
40.2
47.1
Facilities Management And Maintenance
9.9
8.5
8.8
10.1
9.7
11.1
11.3
11.3
11.9
Total
187.5
205.4
222.6
229.7
248.8
259.0
259.2
271.9
296.1
Local Development & Infrastructure
Municipal Equitable Share
72.9
62.7
69.0
74.7
78.0
87.3
96.5
101.2
106.1
Human Settlements, Water And Electrification Programmes
52.8
56.5
56.4
55.7
52.9
58.7
61.7
59.0
58.0
Public Transport
44.1
38.6
43.6
44.7
45.0
47.4
53.2
57.2
63.8
Other Human Settlements And Municipal Infrastructure
26.0
38.5
39.6
37.2
42.9
42.9
48.2
47.7
52.6
Total
195.8
196.3
208.5
212.3
218.8
236.3
259.7
265.3
280.4
Social Development
Social Security Funds
66.0
71.3
88.0
105.9
84.2
92.4
89.0
99.5
Old-Age Grant
64.5
70.5
77.0
83.1
86.5
92.1
99.1
107.0
117.4
Child-Support Grant
56.3
60.6
65.0
69.8
73.3
77.2
81.9
85.8
90.4
Provincial Social Development
19.2
20.6
22.3
23.3
23.6
22.0
21.4
22.0
23.3
Disability Grant
21.2
22.1
23.1
24.4
23.6
24.7
26.8
29.2
30.2
Other Grants
10.7
9.7
10.1
10.6
12.2
54.3
46.0
44.2
46.7
Policy Oversight And Grant Administration
8.3
9.8
9.6
10.0
10.2
9.9
10.9
10.1
12.6
Total
180.0
259.4
278.4
309.2
335.3
364.4
378.5
387.3
420.1
Debt-Service Costs
162.4
180.1
202.2
229.3
269.7
301.8
340.5
382.2
426.3
Contingency Reserve
6.0
8.0
13.0
5.0
12.0
10.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
Provincial Budgets
FY 2025/26 Budget Overview by Province (R 000)[ 11] [ 12] [ 13] [ 14] [ 15] [ 16] [ 17] [ 18] [ 19]
Sector
Province
Eastern Cape
Free State
Gauteng
Kwazulu-Natal
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
North West
Northern Cape
Western Cape
Agriculture
2,577,809
883,720
647,304
2,757,443
1,909,803
1,644,634
1,218,610
793,016
1,021,484
Economic Development, Tourism and the Environment
1,815,756
705,641
2,223,973
3,606,998
2,079,629
1,324,261
1,013,489
340,394
1,184,949
Education
44,636,479
18,889,391
68,000,575
66,690,206
42,529,435
28,732,641
22,894,639
8,886,543
33,259,103
Health
31,652,682
14,187,504
67,042,497
56,211,801
26,073,702
19,750,974
17,040,332
6,868,747
32,007,601
Local Government and Housing
3,535,562
1,726,680
6,280,116
5,481,030
2,573,445
2,360,127
2,529,739
1,068,064
10,267,651
Office of the Premier
1,519,072
633,571
1,505,486
817,875
554,810
493,827
519,498
302,262
2,012,784
Provincial Legislature
750,510
317,306
1,200,122
850,796
671,660
549,137
522,583
222,825
269,189
Provincial Treasury
519,185
384,032
787,853
710,190
512,897
647,494
695,181
373,638
359,755
Public Works, Roads and Transport
8,797,777
6,088,777
17,288,201
16,140,272
8,651,421
8,021,174
6,653,848
2,723,605
3,976,946
Social Development
3,115,648
1,373,855
5,458,504
3,613,297
2,294,866
1,877,527
1,876,413
1,002,757
2,725,610
Sport, Arts and Culture
1,079,768
666,075
1,013,402
1,598,141
877,492
812,298
776,063
457,814
958,692
Total
100,000,249
45,856,552
171,448,033
158,478,049
88,729,158
66,214,094
55,740,395
23,039,665
88,043,764
See also
References