Budget 2022

South Africa’s National Budget, recently presented by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, shows just where government gets its money from and how it plans to spend it to improve citizens’ lives and livelihoods.

Where’s the money coming from?

R1 598.4 billion: Taxes

R386.6 billion: Borrowing

R33.3 billion: Non-tax revenue

How will it be spent?

R364.4 billion: Social development.

R301.8 billion: Debt service costs.

R298.1 billion: Basic education.

R259 billion: Health.

R236.3 billion: Community development.

R227.1 billion: Economic development.

R220.7 billion: Peace and security.

R131.6 billion: Post-school education and training.

• The value of spending on health, education, housing, social grants, transport, employment programmes and municipal services has risen from 58.2% in the 2019/20 Budget to 59.5% this year.
• R4.35 trillion: The amount public debt has risen to.
• 17 cents: The amount used out of every R1 collected in tax revenue to pay off interest.
• 2.1%: Projected growth of the economy in 2022.

Grants and financial support

18.6 million: People will be supported via social grants.

R44 billion: Allocated to the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) Grant to provide ben­eficiaries with R350 per month.

12 months: The number of months the SRD Grant has been extended by.

R1 985: New Old Age Grant, Care Dependency Grant and Disability Grant.

R2 005: New Old Age Grant (those over 75) and War Veterans Grant.

R1 070: New Foster Care Grant.

R480: New Child Support Grant.

R28.9 billion: Allocated to improve service delivery and uplift citizens.

Presidential Employment Stimulus

840 000: People supported through a combination of job creation, job retention and livelihood interventions.

R18.4 billion: Allocated over the next two years to provide support to 500 000 people. The focus is to provide meaningful work and livelihood opportunities, particularly for unemployed youth.

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Job creation

R3.33 trillion: Allocated to the social wage, to support vulnerable and low-income households.

R76 billion: Allocated for job creation programmes over the medium-term.

R20 billion: Set aside for a business bounce-back scheme to support businesses in distress.

200 000: Hectares of land leased by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development to prioritised groups, supporting job creation and small enterprises.

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Education

R32.6 billion: Allocated for financial support to current bursary holders and first-year students under the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.

R24.6 billion: Allocated to provincial education departments to address shortfalls in teacher compensation.

COVID-19 and health Two years: The time that South Africa has been struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession. 2.1 million: Jobs lost as a result of COVID-19 in the first quarter of 2020. R2.3 billion: Allocated to buying additional COVID-19 doses and administering vaccines. R15.6 billion: Allocated to provincial health departments to fight COVID-19 and meet shortfalls in essential supplies. R3.3 billion: Allocated to absorb medical interns and community service doctors.

Infrastructure

R595 billion: Allocated to 55 infrastructure projects to improve the economy’s ability to grow quickly.

R812.5 billion: Estimated public sector infrastructure spending over the next three years. Municipalities are expected to spend R185.5 billion and R194.4 billion on infrastructure over the same period.

R44.3 billion: The value of public housing expected to be built through the Human Settlements Development Grant in provinces, which will be transferred to homeowners.

Three years: The time period in which government will expand electricity-generation capacity, upgrade and expand the transport network, and improve sanitation and water services. It will also continue to maintain and improve health and education infrastructure.

Fighting corruption

R8.7 billion: The amount the police budget has increased by.

R1 billion: Will be used to implement personnel reforms.

R1.1 billion: Increase in Department of Justice and Constitutional Development’s budget.

R39.9: Increase in Office of Chief Justice’s budget.

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Alcohol, tobacco and sugar increases

11 cents: More for a can of beer or cider.

17 cents: More for a 750ml bottle of wine.

76 cents: More for a bottle of sparkling wine.

R4.83: More for a bottle of spirits.

R1.03: More for a packet of cigarettes.

37 cents: More for 25 grams of piped tobacco.

2.31 cents: More per gram of sugar.

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Levies and fuel tax

R3.85: Fuel levy for petrol, per litre. This has not been increased.

R3.70: Fuel levy for diesel, per litre. This has not been increased.