Pretoria: The South African provinces have reported a total expenditure of R198.4 billion, representing 24.8 percent of the allocated main budget of R798.6 billion for the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year. This indicates an increase of 1.7 percent, equivalent to R3.3 billion, compared to the same period in the previous financial year.
According to South African Government News Agency, the National Treasury released a statement under Section 32 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), detailing provincial receipts and payments for the first quarter (April to June 2025) of the 2025/26 financial year. The report highlights key spending areas, including education, health services, and social development.
Spending on education reached R85.1 billion, or 25.4 percent of the sector’s main budget of R334.5 billion. This reflects an increase of R3.5 billion, or 4.3 percent, compared to the same period in the previous financial year. In contrast, health services expenditure amounted to R68.1 billion against the main budget of R270.8 billion, showing a decrease of R787.6 million, or 1.1 percent, from the previous year.
Social development spending at the end of the first quarter totaled R5.5 billion from a main budget of R23.3 billion, marking a decline of 3.1 percent, or R177.9 million, compared to the same period in 2024/25. Personnel expenditure, or compensation of employees, stood at R122.8 billion, representing 24.6 percent of the R499.6 billion main budget, with an increase of 5 percent, or R5.9 billion, over the previous financial year.
Aggregate spending on goods and services reached R41.3 billion, accounting for 25.2 percent of the R163.7 billion main budget. This category experienced a decrease of 2.5 percent, or R1.1 billion, compared to the same period in 2024/25, indicating tighter spending controls. Meanwhile, payments for capital assets amounted to R8.7 billion, or 20.1 percent of the R43 billion main budget, showing a decrease of 6.8 percent, or R635.1 million, reflecting slower delivery of capital projects.
Provinces collected R5.9 billion, or 22.4 percent of the budgeted own revenue target of R26.3 billion for the year. The increase of R399 million, or 8 percent, compared to the previous financial year, highlights improved provincial revenue performance. The budgeted figures are based on the 2025 Estimates of Provincial Revenue and Expenditure documents, presented to provincial legislatures between March and June 2025. The full statement is available on the National Treasury website at.