SA has second most embassies in the world – costing us billions
South Africa has the second most diplomatic embassies in the world, behind only the US, spending R3.2 billion annually on global diplomatic missions.
This is according to an article published in the Sunday Times, citing a reply to a parliamentary question.
The paper revealed that South Africa has 122 embassies around the world, swallowing up R1.9 billion for salaries and R1.3 billion for ‘goods and services’ every year.
Treasury said that South Africa’s ‘generous allowances’ for diplomatic staff is unsustainable, and that the ‘ most expensive missions’ were not aligned with trade relations and other economic interests.
“Rapid spending growth is largely attributable to higher property costs and rising staff costs. While the cost of locally recruited staff are too high, cost of living allowances for South African staff are more generous than those offered by other countries,” the Treasury said in its 2015 budget review.
Figures showed that government owns 25 chanceries, one consulate, 35 official residences, 66 staff houses, and 16 plots of land.
The Times reported that Geneva in Switzerland is the most expensive mission to maintain, at a cost of R98.5 million every year, while the least expensive is Minsk, Belarus, at R4.5 million a year.
Government is spending an additional R1.39 billion on refurbishing 22 foreign missions, up to 2017-18, the Sunday paper reported.
This article cans be found in the Sunday Times, November 15, 2015 edition.
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