The report notes that, together with\u00a0debt-servicing (10%), the high total is limiting the capacity of the South African government to meet the physical and social infrastructure investment needs necessary to unlock higher growth.<\/p>\n
SA government spending vs other emerging markets<\/strong><\/h3>\n(click on images to enlarge)<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/OECD-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/h3>\n
\nBreakdown of spending<\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/OECD-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDepartment which pays the highest<\/strong><\/h3>\nAccording to a recent report by Stats SA<\/a><\/strong>, South Africa\u2019s 47 national government departments spent R137 billion on compensation of employees during the 2015\/16 fiscal year.<\/p>\nMore than 70% of the R137 billion was taken up by just three departments: South African Police Service (42%), Defence (18%) and Correctional Services (10%). All three share one common element – their main function revolves around security.<\/p>\n
However, Stats SA also looked at the data based on how much each department pays, on average, per civil servant.<\/p>\n
Ranked on this metric, the top spot is occupied by the Office of the Chief Justice, which spent R1.3 billion in compensation during 2015\/16.<\/p>\n
With 1,613 employees under its wing, that translates to an annual compensation of R808,249 per person.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/average-salaries-in-governement-departments.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nBig Business<\/strong><\/h3>\nGovernment’s workforce has become a major part of the economy – arguably more important than even the private sector when looking at the country’s employment trajectory, according to senior researchers <\/a><\/strong>at the University of Cape Town.<\/p>\nPublic sector employment\u2019s share of total jobs has risen to 17.5% by the end of 2014, up from 14.5% at the beginning of 2008.<\/p>\n
The largest contributors to public sector job growth are occupations that fall under the category of unskilled workers, including sweepers; farmhands and labourers; helpers and cleaners; construction and maintenance labourers; and garbage collectors.<\/p>\n
The other major contributors are medium-skilled workers, like police and traffic officers; institution and home-based care workers; other protective services; prison guards; technikon teacher training; cooks and childcare workers.<\/p>\n
The public sector is also much better at addressing representation issues in the workplace, according to the researchers, with a higher proportion of both women and black African workers in the sector – groups that were discriminated against under apartheid.<\/p>\n
They are also almost singlehandedly responsible for the country’s union power and wage structure with union members making up almost 70% (1.4 million workers) of all public sector formal workers in 2014 – up from 55% in 1997 (834,000 workers).<\/p>\n
\n
<\/a><\/h3>\n
\nBreakdown of spending<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDepartment which pays the highest<\/strong><\/h3>\nAccording to a recent report by Stats SA<\/a><\/strong>, South Africa\u2019s 47 national government departments spent R137 billion on compensation of employees during the 2015\/16 fiscal year.<\/p>\nMore than 70% of the R137 billion was taken up by just three departments: South African Police Service (42%), Defence (18%) and Correctional Services (10%). All three share one common element – their main function revolves around security.<\/p>\n
However, Stats SA also looked at the data based on how much each department pays, on average, per civil servant.<\/p>\n
Ranked on this metric, the top spot is occupied by the Office of the Chief Justice, which spent R1.3 billion in compensation during 2015\/16.<\/p>\n
With 1,613 employees under its wing, that translates to an annual compensation of R808,249 per person.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nBig Business<\/strong><\/h3>\nGovernment’s workforce has become a major part of the economy – arguably more important than even the private sector when looking at the country’s employment trajectory, according to senior researchers <\/a><\/strong>at the University of Cape Town.<\/p>\nPublic sector employment\u2019s share of total jobs has risen to 17.5% by the end of 2014, up from 14.5% at the beginning of 2008.<\/p>\n
The largest contributors to public sector job growth are occupations that fall under the category of unskilled workers, including sweepers; farmhands and labourers; helpers and cleaners; construction and maintenance labourers; and garbage collectors.<\/p>\n
The other major contributors are medium-skilled workers, like police and traffic officers; institution and home-based care workers; other protective services; prison guards; technikon teacher training; cooks and childcare workers.<\/p>\n
The public sector is also much better at addressing representation issues in the workplace, according to the researchers, with a higher proportion of both women and black African workers in the sector – groups that were discriminated against under apartheid.<\/p>\n
They are also almost singlehandedly responsible for the country’s union power and wage structure with union members making up almost 70% (1.4 million workers) of all public sector formal workers in 2014 – up from 55% in 1997 (834,000 workers).<\/p>\n
\n
According to a recent report by Stats SA<\/a><\/strong>, South Africa\u2019s 47 national government departments spent R137 billion on compensation of employees during the 2015\/16 fiscal year.<\/p>\n More than 70% of the R137 billion was taken up by just three departments: South African Police Service (42%), Defence (18%) and Correctional Services (10%). All three share one common element – their main function revolves around security.<\/p>\n However, Stats SA also looked at the data based on how much each department pays, on average, per civil servant.<\/p>\n Ranked on this metric, the top spot is occupied by the Office of the Chief Justice, which spent R1.3 billion in compensation during 2015\/16.<\/p>\n With 1,613 employees under its wing, that translates to an annual compensation of R808,249 per person.<\/p>\n Government’s workforce has become a major part of the economy – arguably more important than even the private sector when looking at the country’s employment trajectory, according to senior researchers <\/a><\/strong>at the University of Cape Town.<\/p>\n Public sector employment\u2019s share of total jobs has risen to 17.5% by the end of 2014, up from 14.5% at the beginning of 2008.<\/p>\n The largest contributors to public sector job growth are occupations that fall under the category of unskilled workers, including sweepers; farmhands and labourers; helpers and cleaners; construction and maintenance labourers; and garbage collectors.<\/p>\n The other major contributors are medium-skilled workers, like police and traffic officers; institution and home-based care workers; other protective services; prison guards; technikon teacher training; cooks and childcare workers.<\/p>\n The public sector is also much better at addressing representation issues in the workplace, according to the researchers, with a higher proportion of both women and black African workers in the sector – groups that were discriminated against under apartheid.<\/p>\n They are also almost singlehandedly responsible for the country’s union power and wage structure with union members making up almost 70% (1.4 million workers) of all public sector formal workers in 2014 – up from 55% in 1997 (834,000 workers).<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDepartment which pays the highest<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
\nBig Business<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n