JOHANNESBURG - Like many South Africans, the government spends more than it earns.
As a result, national debt now stands at roughly R6-trillion.
In recent years, National Treasury has pushed departments to live within their means.
This year’s budget will reveal how successful those efforts have been.
South Africa has been living beyond its means for years.
If South Africa were a person, she’d be knee-deep in credit card and other costly debt.
That means hefty interest payments.
Right now, that’s about R1.2-billion a day.
For every Rand SARS collects, 22 cents go to servicing debt.
That’s money that could have fixed roads or replaced ageing water pipes.
READ: SA debt set to stabilise for the first time since 2008
Over the past decade, South Africa’s debt-to-GDP ratio has surged from below 50 percent to nearly 80 percent.
Last year, debt topped 77 percent.
That’s a red flag for institutions monitoring the country's financial sustainability and loan repayment.
Yet last year marked a turning point.
READ: Making Sense | South Africa’s economic “pulse” before Budget 2026
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana outlined how debt would stabilise at 77.9 percent of GDP, just shy of 80 percent.
In the coming years, it’s projected to fall even further.
If the minister delivers, positive sentiment towards South Africa will keep growing.
- eNCA's Denga Mavhunga reports.