Ramaphosa determines 3.5% and 4% salary increases for public office-bearers

President Cyril Ramaphosa has determined salary increases of 3.5% and 4% for different categories of public office-bearers for the 2026/27 financial year, effective from 1 April 2026.

The official report published on Tuesday, 10 November says the decision follows recommendations from the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office-Bearers.

Who receives 3.5%?

The 3.5% increase covers members of the National Executive and National Assembly, permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces, premiers, provincial executive council members and provincial legislators.

Who receives 4%?

The 4% increase covers Constitutional Court judges, other judges and magistrates. It also applies to traditional leaders, members of the National and Provincial Houses of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, and members of independent constitutional institutions.

The effective date has already passed: this is a determination for the financial year beginning in April, not an increase scheduled to start next April. The report does not supply the resulting rand salaries.

The commission considered fiscal affordability, inflation, wage settlements, stakeholder input and the responsibilities of the offices. This determination concerns the listed office-bearer categories; it is not a general pay announcement for all public servants.

Archive photograph: President Cyril Ramaphosa, centre, during a VIP tour at ITU Telecom World on 10 September 2018; not today’s salary announcement. Photo: ITU Pictures / R. Farrell via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cyril_Ramaphosa_(29653248377).jpg . Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ . Original unchanged; cropped and resized for display.