#Budget2025: Pragmatism or missed opportunity?

Source: Supplied. Dr Chris Blair, CEO: 21st Century.

With a projected GDP growth averaging a modest 1.8% over the next three years and a consolidated budget shortfall of 5% of GDP in the current fiscal year, the National Treasury has opted for a mix of tax hikes, infrastructure investment, and debt management to steady the ship.

Yet, as the dust settles on the announcement, one must ask: does this budget deliver for South Africa’s workforce—both in the private and public sectors—and does it pave the way for a prosperous future? For the man in the street, the implications are equally pressing.

Impact on employees: Private and public sectors

For employees across South Africa’s private sector, the budget’s headline measure—a VAT increase from 15% to 16% by April 2026—casts a long shadow. This 1% rise, designed to raise R42.5bn over two fiscal years, will fund critical services like education and health. However, it risks eroding purchasing power, particularly for low- and middle-income workers already grappling with a 4.3% CPI in 2025 (National Treasury, 2025).

Private-sector firms, especially in retail and consumer goods, may face weaker demand as households tighten belts, potentially stalling wage growth or, worse, triggering layoffs. The Treasury’s mitigation—exempting more food items from VAT and boosting welfare grants—offers some relief, but its effectiveness hinges on swift implementation, a perennial challenge given bureaucratic inertia.

Public sector employees, meanwhile, face a bittersweet reality. The budget allocates R23.4bn to honour a three-year pay agreement, a nod to the state’s 1.3 million workers (Stats SA, 2023). Yet, whispers of cutting 30,000 jobs, signal a leaner future. This juxtaposition—pay rises for some, retrenchments for others—reflects the government’s fiscal tightrope.

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For those retained, the promise of stability is welcome, but morale may falter as colleagues depart. Moreover, the R46.7bn boost to infrastructure spending could indirectly bolster public-sector employment in construction-adjacent roles, though logistical bottlenecks, such as underperforming railways, may blunt this impact (Bloomberg, 12 March 2025).

Strategically, the budget’s effectiveness for employees is middling. It preserves short-term gains—wage agreements and grant increases—but lacks a bold vision to ignite private-sector job creation or shield workers from rising costs. The primary surplus of 0.9% of GDP in 2025-26 is a fiscal win, but its benefits feel distant when juxtaposed against immediate pressures on livelihoods.

Recommendations for a better future

To forge a future beyond the constraints of this budget, three strategic shifts are imperative:

Accelerate private sector growth through tax incentives: Rather than leaning heavily on VAT, the Treasury could introduce targeted corporate tax relief for SMEs and labour-intensive industries. A 2022 World Bank report highlighted that South Africa’s SME sector, which employs 60% of the workforce, is stifled by high compliance costs. A temporary tax holiday for firms hiring above a threshold could spur employment, offsetting VAT’s drag on consumption.

Invest in skills, not just Infrastructure: The R1.03tn infrastructure allocation is laudable, but its jobs' potential will fade without upskilling. Pairing this with a R10bn vocational training fund—focused on green energy, digital services, and logistics—could prepare workers for emerging sectors, reducing reliance on ailing state entities like Eskom.

Reform public-sector efficiency: Rather than blanket job cuts, a performance-based restructuring of the public sector, akin to the grant model for local governments, could retain talent while shedding inefficiency. Savings could then bolster the R4bn Sars allocation, enhancing revenue collection without further taxing citizens.

These measures demand political will and coalition consensus—challenges Godongwana knows well—but they promise a future where growth, not austerity, drives prosperity.

The man in the street: A professional yet relatable lens

For the average South African—say, Sipho, a factory worker in Durban or Thandi, a nurse in Soweto—this budget is a mixed bag. Sipho welcomes the unchanged fuel levy, keeping his commute affordable, but the VAT hike means fewer groceries in his trolley. Thandi’s pay rise offers breathing room, yet she worries about colleagues facing the axe. Both see the R35.2bn extension of the Covid-19 distress grant as a lifeline for family members, but the 1.9% GDP growth forecast for 2025 feels like a statistic, not a solution.

One might say: “This budget is a pragmatic stitch in a torn fabric, not a new garment. It keeps the lights on—quite literally, with Eskom’s R40bn advance—but leaves Sipho and Thandi wondering when their turn for better days will come. The man in the street doesn’t care for debt-to-GDP ratios; he cares for jobs, bread, and hope.”

South Africa’s 2025 budget is a cautious step toward fiscal stability, with debt peaking at 76.2% of GDP in 2025-26 and a narrowing deficit. For employees, it offers short-term respite but lacks the ambition to transform lives.

By pivoting to growth-oriented policies and skills investment, the Treasury could chart a brighter course. Until then, the man in the street remains a spectator to a game of numbers, waiting for a strategy that truly puts him first.