South Africa's public servants to receive a 4% salary increase from April 2026
The Ministry for the Public Service and Administration Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi has announced a 4% salary increase for public servants, effective from April 1, 2026, as government implements the 2026/27 wage adjustment under the PSCBC agreement.
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Public servants in South Africa will benefit from a 4% salary increase starting April 2026 reinforcing the government's commitment to support workers facing rising living costs.
The increase, effective April 1, 2026, applies to employees on salary levels 1 to 12 and those covered by occupation-specific dispensations. It forms part of Public Service Co-ordinating Bargaining Council Resolution 1 of 2025, which established a multiyear wage agreement for government employees.
According to Circular No. 15 of 2026, the adjustment is pensionable and will apply despite National Treasury inflation projections of 3.4% for the 2026-27 period. The agreement’s floor mechanism ensured the final adjustment was set at 4%.
Public Service and Administration Minister Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi said the decision reflected the government’s commitment to collective bargaining and protecting workers from rising living costs.
“The implementation of this 4% adjustment is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the stability of our public service and the sanctity of collective bargaining,” Buthelezi said.
“By honouring the floor mechanism within PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2025, we are ensuring that even when inflation projections sit at 3.4%, public servants on salary levels 1 to 12 receive a deemed increase that provides a meaningful cushion against the rising cost of living.”
He said the adjustment went beyond salary increases and formed part of a broader effort to strengthen the public service.
“This is not merely an administrative update; it is a deliberate act of support for the men and women who serve the citizens of South Africa every day,” Buthelezi said.
The directive confirms that the adjustment applies only to employees appointed under the Public Service Act of 1994. Several categories are excluded from the circular, with their adjustments to be handled separately.
These include senior management service employees on levels 13 to 16, as well as personnel in the South African Police Service, basic education, the South African National Defence Force, Correctional Services and the National Prosecuting Authority.
The circular also outlines additional changes affecting the broader public service workforce.
Pay progression for qualifying employees in the 2025-26 performance cycle will take effect from July 1, 2026. Intern stipends and developmental programme payments must be aligned with the new salary scales from April 1, 2026.
Buthelezi said the government was also focusing on long-term workforce development.
“Beyond the immediate salary scales, we are placing significant emphasis on the future of our workforce by ensuring that intern stipends and developmental programmes are adjusted in tandem with these new scales as we forge ahead in building a capable, ethical and developmental state,” he said.