President Cyril Ramaphosa has approved salary increases of between 3.5% and 4% for public office-bearers for the 2026/27 financial year.
The increases will be backdated to 1 April 2026, meaning eligible office-bearers will receive the adjustment from the start of the financial year.
The decision comes as millions of South Africans continue to face pressure from rising food, electricity, transport and housing costs.
Members of the National Executive, Parliament and provincial legislatures will receive a 3.5% increase.
The same adjustment applies to premiers and members of provincial executive councils.
Judges, magistrates and traditional leaders will receive a 4% increase.
The 4% adjustment also applies to members of the National and Provincial Houses of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, as well as members of independent constitutional institutions.
The Presidency announced the decision on Tuesday after Ramaphosa considered recommendations made by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers.
Who will receive the increases?
The 3.5% increase applies to members of the National Executive, which includes the President, Deputy President and Cabinet ministers.
It also applies to members of the National Assembly and permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces.
At provincial level, premiers, members of provincial executive councils and members of provincial legislatures will receive the same percentage increase.
The 4% increase applies to judges of the Constitutional Court and judges of other courts.
Magistrates will also receive a 4% adjustment.
Traditional leaders, members of the National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders and members of provincial houses will receive the same increase.
Members of independent constitutional institutions are also included in the 4% category.
The announcement did not provide revised individual salary figures for each position.
The final amount received by an office-bearer depends on the salary attached to that position and any applicable allowances or benefits.
The adjustment should also not be confused with a general salary increase for all public servants.
It applies to specified public office-bearers covered by the relevant remuneration framework.
Increases effective from 1 April
The salary adjustments are effective from 1 April 2026, despite the decision being announced in November.
This means eligible office-bearers will be owed the difference between their previous remuneration and the revised amount for the months that have already passed in the financial year.
The backdated portion will be processed in line with the relevant administrative and payroll arrangements.
The announcement did not say when the arrears would be paid or whether all categories would receive the backdated amount at the same time.
The decision covers the 2026/27 financial year, which runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
The percentage increases will therefore apply for the remainder of the financial year as well as the period from April until the new determination was announced.
Commission makes recommendations
The Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers is responsible for making annual recommendations on the salaries, allowances and benefits of specified public office-bearers.
The commission’s mandate comes from section 219 of the Constitution and legislation governing the remuneration of public office-bearers.
It is required to consider the responsibilities attached to each position before making recommendations.
The commission also considers submissions and comments from stakeholders.
Other factors include inflation, fiscal affordability, wage-settlement data, inflation forecasts, earlier recommendations and average annual wage increases.
The President’s determination for the previous financial year is also considered.
The commission publishes recommendations, but the President makes the final determination in terms of the relevant legal framework.
The latest increases followed the commission’s annual recommendations for the 2026/27 financial year.
Ramaphosa said the recommendations had been subject to careful scrutiny before he made the determination.
Presidency points to economic challenges
The Presidency said the decision was made after consideration of the serious economic challenges facing the country.
South African households have continued to deal with pressure on their monthly budgets.
Food prices, electricity charges, fuel costs, rent, transport expenses and school-related costs have all affected the amount of money available to families.
Many workers have also faced wage negotiations in which increases have been measured against inflation and the affordability of employers.
Against that background, the announcement of increases for public office-bearers is likely to attract attention from citizens and civil-society organisations.
The Presidency did not announce a separate relief measure for households as part of the salary determination.
It also did not provide the total projected cost of the increases to the national or provincial fiscus.
That figure would depend on the number of office-bearers covered, their salary levels and the allowances and benefits affected by the determination.
The 3.5% and 4% percentages apply to the specified categories and do not represent the same monetary amount for every person.
Ramaphosa urges leaders to honour public trust
Ramaphosa thanked the commission for its work and careful consideration of the recommendations.
He also urged public office-bearers to fulfil their responsibilities and respect the public trust placed in them.
The call comes at a time when government is expected to improve service delivery while managing pressure on public finances.
Public office-bearers are responsible for making decisions affecting health, education, policing, housing, transport, social development and economic policy.
Their remuneration is determined through a formal process that considers the duties and responsibilities attached to each position.
The decision does not remove the performance and ethical responsibilities attached to public office.
Office-bearers remain accountable to the Constitution, the law and the institutions they serve.
No individual figures released
The Presidency did not list the new annual salary figures for the President, ministers, MPs, premiers, MECs, judges, magistrates or traditional leaders.
Members of the public will therefore have to wait for the applicable salary schedules or administrative notices to see the revised amounts for each position.
A percentage increase is calculated against the existing remuneration for a particular office.
An office-bearer whose salary is higher in the existing structure will receive a larger rand increase than someone in a lower-paid position, even where both receive the same percentage adjustment.
The 4% adjustment for judges, magistrates and traditional leaders also does not mean all people in those broad categories receive the same amount.
Their pay is determined by their specific position and the applicable remuneration schedule.
Public servants are not automatically included
The decision applies to public office-bearers and is separate from salary negotiations affecting the wider public service.
Teachers, nurses, police officers, administrative officials and other public servants are not automatically entitled to the same percentage because of this announcement.
Their remuneration is handled through different collective-bargaining and public-service processes.
The distinction is important because the salary decision affects political office-bearers, judicial officers, traditional leaders and members of certain constitutional institutions rather than all government employees.
It also means that the announcement does not settle outstanding wage questions in other parts of the public sector.
Backdated pay now due
The immediate consequence of the determination is that the specified office-bearers will receive the approved increase from 1 April 2026.
The backdated adjustment will cover the difference between what they were paid and what they should have received under the new determination.
The administration of the back pay will be handled through the relevant payroll systems.
The Presidency’s statement did not set out the payment dates or explain whether the arrears would be paid in a single amount or processed through more than one payment.
It also did not state whether the backdated increase would affect every allowance or benefit associated with each position.
Those details will need to be confirmed through the applicable remuneration schedules and administrative arrangements.
Decision follows annual process
The salary increase is part of the annual process for determining the remuneration of public office-bearers.
The process begins with the commission’s consideration of the duties and responsibilities of the positions, the economic climate and submissions from stakeholders.
The commission then makes recommendations.
The President considers those recommendations before determining the salaries, allowances and benefits or the upper limits of those amounts for the relevant office-bearers.
The latest determination is therefore not a general adjustment announced for the entire public sector.
It is a formal decision covering specific office-holders and institutions for the 2026/27 financial year.
The decision is likely to remain a focus of public debate because it combines backdated pay with a period of difficult economic conditions.
While the Presidency says the recommendations took affordability and economic challenges into account, families facing higher living costs will judge the increase against their own household budgets.
For now, the approved increases stand at 3.5% for members of the national and provincial political executive and legislatures, and 4% for judges, magistrates, traditional leaders and members of specified constitutional institutions.
The adjustments apply from 1 April 2026.