Behind the big numbers in the medium-term budget policy statement there are some less obvious, interesting stats. Brush up on your budget trivia here.
- Soldiering on. The South African National Defence Force troops sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo cost more than earlier thought. About R2.1bn more, making it a full R3.5bn this year.
- Not wasted. Some 500,000t of solid waste in Johannesburg – as part of a new financing system for public-private partnerships – will be converted to energy by the Alternative Wastewater Treatment Technology PPP.
- Local is lekker expensive. The next round of local government elections have been budgeted for in fiscal 2026/27 and are expected to cost R1.4bn.
- From aero to zero. SAA peaked at R19bn in government guarantees, but is now down to just R91m (on unflown ticket liabilities and letters of credit).
- Legal fees. The International Court of Justice was paid R96m and that, of course, was for the legal fight against Israel for its actions in Gaza.
- Outstanding statistics. The staggered release of the 2022 census data is still affecting the disbursement of the equitable share of poverty relief to provinces and municipalities. Poverty patterns shift and the current formulas still use data from 2010/11. The new data, according to Stats SA will be available by December 2024.
