Free homes, R1.1m cars and 20 flights a year: the perks in Ramaphosa’s ministerial handbook

South Africa’s ministerial handbook lays out a broad suite of taxpayer-funded perks for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 32 ministers that extend well beyond their R2.79 million annual salaries. The benefits include free government residences, vehicles worth up to R1.1 million, generous travel allowances and multiple state-paid staff.

What the handbook provides

The document, known as the Guide for Members of the Executive and approved by President Ramaphosa, has been in force since November 2019. It details entitlements that ministers may access from the day they take office and, in some instances, after they leave government service.

Among the listed entitlements are:

• Free government-owned residences in both Gauteng and the Western Cape, with maintenance, garden services, furniture, appliances and security paid for by the public works department.
• Up to R5,000 per month per residence in free water and electricity.
• A government-purchased car worth up to R1.1m, inclusive of VAT, security upgrades and a maintenance plan, per seat of office with two vehicles provided in total.
• A SAPS VIP driver and protection officer at no cost to the minister.
• Seven dedicated office staff paid entirely by the state, including a chief of staff, media liaison officer and private secretary, plus two household aides at official residences.
• Travel allowances such as economy-class domestic flights for ministers and a spouse on up to six official domestic trips per year, plus 20 additional personal domestic flights annually shared between the minister and spouse.
• Six free domestic flights per year for each dependent child to travel between the two seats of office.
• Business-class international flights on journeys longer than two hours, with a spouse included on up to two international trips per year.
• Five-star hotel accommodation abroad, with a daily allowance set at 110 percent of the public service maximum rate and actual meal costs covered if needed.
• Up to R60,000 per year toward cellphone rental and calls, plus computer equipment, internet, Wi‑Fi and a television subscription at the official residence.

Post-office entitlements and secrecy obligation

The handbook also specifies short-term entitlements after ministers leave office: continued use of the state residence for up to one month, the official car and VIP driver until the end of the following calendar month, and up to two clerical staff for that same period all paid by the state.

One enduring obligation is a prohibition on disclosure: after leaving office, ministers may not disclose anything they came across during their time in power to anyone, unless authorised or instructed by a court to do so.

Attempts to change the handbook and later adjustments

A 2022 attempt to amend the handbook which would have removed the cap on free water and electricity at official residences and added more staff was withdrawn after public outcry. The 2019 version therefore remains operative, although certain figures within it, such as the vehicle cap, have since been revised upward.

Critics and defenders

Responses to the handbook vary. Cosatu parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks said some perks were reasonable but many were excessive and sent the wrong message while government called for belt-tightening. He told IOL:

“We think some of them are fair, but in most instances they are excessive and send the wrong message to society when government is constantly saying we must tighten our belts and conserve resources, yet it has money to spend on itself. We also think it is morally wrong when budgets for frontline services such as healthcare, education and policing are being cut, but there is money for politicians. Public servants are often expected to cover critical vacancies and their wages do not keep pace with inflation, yet politicians continue to receive increases and benefits.

Parks said some perks were defensible as tools of trade including accommodation in Pretoria or Cape Town and ministerial staff but argued there should be fewer ministers and deputy ministers and that vehicle values should be more modest.

Bosa MP Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster described the situation as wrong and criticised the treasury for not quantifying the total cost of executive perks. She told IOL:

“Government can calculate the rising cost of luxury vehicles for politicians, but cannot quantify the total burden these perks place on public money. You cannot manage what you do not measure, and treasury’s inability to provide a full cost of executive perks undermines any claim to responsible financial management. In a time of deep economic strain, leadership should be defined by restraint and a clear alignment with the realities facing people.”

Political analyst Prof Andre Duvenhage said the handbook is effectively the executive’s rulebook for benefits and privileges, and that the debate centres on whether the benefits are reasonable, affordable and aligned with the country’s economic realities. He told IOL:

“The handbook sets out the resources, support and benefits that public office-bearers may access in the performance of their duties. The debate is not so much about whether these benefits should exist, but whether they are reasonable, affordable and in line with the country’s economic realities.”

Who stands to benefit

The handbook’s travel and family allowances can be significant for ministers with large families: the source notes, for example, that Velenkosini Hlabisa has six children, making the dependent-child flight benefit notable for him.

Scope and funding

All entitlements set out in the handbook are funded by the South African taxpayer and include salaries, allowances, travel privileges, accommodation and support services.

The handbook provides a comprehensive framework for the resources available to members of the executive while in office and, in some cases, for a short period after leaving office.