• A commission wants politicians and senior officials to get a 4.1% pay increase across South Africa.

• The increase would cost the government more than R530-million extra at a time of budget pressure.

Top politicians and senior government officials could soon get a pay rise. The Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers says their salaries should go up by 4.1%.

This covers the president, ministers, MPs, premiers, MECs, councillors, judges, magistrates and traditional leaders.

Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines

The commission says inflation has dropped during the year. It was expected to reach 4.5% but fell to about 3.5% by the end of the year.

It also spoke to banks and researchers. They believe inflation in 2025/26 will be between 3.5% and 4.5%, BusinessTech reported.

The commission compared this to the public service wage deal. Public servants received a 5.5% increase from April 2025.

It admits the pay rise would put more pressure on the national budget.

About 20,587 people are paid under these salary levels. The government spent R13.077-billion on them in 2024/25.

If the increases go ahead, that bill would rise to R13.613-billion next year. That is more than R530-million extra.

Over the past 10 years, this wage bill has taken up a smaller share of government spending. Even so, it remains one of the biggest costs.

The government is looking at early retirement without penalties to help save money.

The commission says the finance minister warned that South Africa spends more on public sector salaries than many other countries.

Trade unions and some political parties are unhappy. They say the increases are out of touch while many people struggle to get basic services.

If approved, President Cyril Ramaphosa's salary would rise from R3.34-million to R3.48-million. Ministers would earn about R2.8-million a year.