Massive Salary Increment for Government Workers: But Not Everyone Benefits Equally

Pretoria – Government workers across South Africa are celebrating a significant salary boost, but the details reveal a more nuanced picture than the headline suggests. While a recent gazette notice from the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, confirms a substantial salary increase for certain government officials, the reality is far from uniform.

The increment, effective from June 2024, is a 2.5% increase in the upper salary limits for mayors, speakers, and mayoral executive council members. This follows a previous 3% increase implemented in June 2023.

This latest adjustment, while significant in percentage terms, represents only a portion of the increases recommended by the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers (ICRPOB). The ICRPOB, in a comprehensive review of remuneration for public office bearers, highlighted substantial underpayment across various local government positions. Their report advocates for significantly larger increases to better reflect the market value of these roles, considering factors such as responsibilities, international benchmarking, and market analysis.

The number of points received from adding these two factors gives the municipal council a grade, outlined below:

The ICRPOB's findings reveal a significant gap between current salaries and what they deem "salary relativity." This disparity is particularly pronounced for higher-grade municipalities. For instance, the report suggests that the salary relativity for a Grade 6 mayor should be around R1.93 million, compared to the R1.585 million currently allocated for 2024/25. The commission recommends a 12% increase to reach R1.78 million, aligning the salary with the market value of the position.

The Commission's report clearly articulates its rationale for the recommended increases:

“The Mayor of a grade 6 municipality will have an anchor salary of R1,930,493. However, the Mayor of a grade 2 municipality will have an anchor salary of R1,082,312. Due to the huge gap between the current salary of Executive Mayor and the salary relativity, the Commission increased the current salary by 7% and made a further 5% adjustment to arrive at a recommended salary.”

This methodology was applied consistently across all positions, reflecting a structured approach to achieving salary parity.

This approach also applies to other positions within local government. The ICRPOB's recommendations extend to councillors, for example, suggesting a 12% increase for those in Grade 6 municipalities, raising their salaries from R593,611 to R666,922. This reflects the commission's commitment to addressing the overall underpayment within the local government sector.

The tables provided in the gazette detail the salary scales for 2024/25, along with the ICRPOB's calculated salary relativity and their recommended future increases. These tables clearly demonstrate the significant discrepancies between current salaries and the market-reflective rates identified by the commission.

The government's decision to implement only a 2.5% increase, while acknowledging the ICRPOB's findings, suggests a cautious approach to budgetary allocations. This approach may lead to ongoing discussions and potential future adjustments to ensure fair compensation for local government officials.

The tables below outline the pay scales for 2024/25, what the commission deems as the market-reflective rate (salary relativity), and what it recommends it should be in future hikes.

Executive Mayor

Mayor / Executive Deputy Mayor

Speaker / Chairperson / Deputy Mayor

Member of the Executive Mayorial Committee, Whip or Chairperson of a Subcouncil

Chairperson of Oversight Committee

Councillor