Budget Speech Archives

By Thobile Jiwulane Presenting his 2025 Budget Speech in Parliament today, Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana has announced that the social grants are allocated R284.7 billion in 2025/26. He said this would allow for increases to the old age and disability grants by R130 to R2 315 in April. The Child Support Grant by R30 to R560 per month and the foster care grant by R70.The COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD), in its current form, will be extended by a year to end March 2026. R35.2 billion is allocated for this purpose. As announced by the President in the State of the Nation Address, the SRD will be used as a basis for the introduction of a sustainable form of income support for unemployed people. The future form and nature of the SRD will be inf...

By Dr Khwezi Mabasa Image:FreePik The recent debates about South Africa’s fiscal budget reveal that there is no consensus on how to define and implement inclusive growth. This phrase is prevalent throughout different strategic policy documents and stakeholders use it regularly.Yet political and policy contestations about budget policy choices, especially within the Government of National Unity (GNU), highlight some fundamental divergences. There are contrasting views on the most suitable fiscal policy instruments required to transform the country’s development path. The dominant market fundamentalist perspective proposes the following measures to attain inclusive growth: decreasing public sector wages, reducing state employee numbers, privat...

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Tag: Budget Speech

Minister increases old-age grant by R130 to R2 315 and VAT rate goes up by 0.5% to R16

POLITICS: Budget choices must empower the poor and end socio-economic exclusion