Inside SA Ministers’ Perks: R2,7M Salary, Free Flights and Taxpayer-Funded Luxury

• South Africa’s 32 ministers receive taxpayer-funded perks on top of their R2.79 million annual salary
• These include government housing, vehicles worth up to R1.1 million, free flights, and full domestic staff support
• Cosatu says some benefits are justified but many are excessive, especially while public services face budget cuts

SOUTH AFRICA - South Africa’s 32 ministers receive a wide range of perks funded by taxpayers, in addition to their annual salary of about R2.79 million.

A report from IOL indicated that these benefits include a government-paid house, a chauffeur, security protection, a housekeeper, and a fully paid cellphone, TV and internet service.

Car services, free flights and personal workers

Each minister is also entitled to a government vehicle worth up to R1.1 million. They can receive up to 20 personal domestic flights a year, while their dependent children get up to six free flights annually.

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Ministers are also given office staff, including a chief of staff and media liaison officer, and two household aides at their official residences.

For official travel, they get business class flights on long trips and stay in five-star hotels, with extra allowances for meals and expenses.

See post from IOL here:

Concerns from the public and unions

The benefits are outlined in the ministerial handbook, approved in 2019 and still in use today. A proposed update in 2022 that would have increased some perks was withdrawn after public criticism.

Trade union federation Cosatu has raised concerns, saying some benefits are reasonable but many are excessive, especially during a time when public services face budget cuts.

It argues that while some perks, like official housing and transport, can be justified, the overall package sends the wrong message when ordinary public workers face financial pressure.

Cosatu parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks said some of the benefits given to ministers are reasonable, but many are excessive and send the wrong message at a time when government is calling for spending cuts.

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Parks added that it is also “morally wrong” for budgets in key public services such as healthcare, education and policing to be reduced, while resources continue to be allocated to political office-bearers.

However, he stressed that there is no issue with ministerial support staff, although he believes the number of ministers and deputy ministers should be reduced.

“For us, it is about the size of the perks, the need for modesty and the message being sent to society,” he said.

Ramaphosa approves salary increases for ministers

In similar news, President Cyril Ramaphosa approved a 3.8% salary increase for South Africa’s top politicians, including ministers, deputy ministers and members of Parliament in Jnauary. The above-inflation increase follows a recommendation made by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers in December 2025.The approved 3.8% increase falls within that range and exceeds inflation, but remains lower than the public service wage agreement, which granted public servants a 5.5% increase from April 2025.

Teacher's salary adjustments gets Mzansi talking

Previously, Briefly News reported that the Department of Basic Education has gazetted a 4% salary adjustment for South African teachers, effective from 1 April 2026. The updated salary scales show entry-level teachers starting at R169,707 per year. That works out to roughly R14,142 per month before deductions. At the top, a P5 principal can now earn up to R1,326,822 annually, which is R110,569 per month.

Source: Briefly News