The government salary increase for 2026 is 4%, with effect from 1 April 2026. It applies to public servants on salary levels 1 to 12 and those on Occupation Specific Dispensations (OSDs), and it is a pensionable, cost-of-living adjustment for the 2026/27 financial year. The increase gives effect to PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2025 and was issued through DPSA Circular 15 of 2026.
Quick facts: government salary increase 2026
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Increase | 4% (pensionable) |
| Effective from | 1 April 2026 |
| Applies to | Salary levels 1 to 12 and OSDs |
| Financial year | 2026/27 |
| Agreement | PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2025 |
| Directive | DPSA Circular 15 of 2026 |
| Set by | Minister for the Public Service and Administration |
| Pay progression | Separate, from 1 July 2026 |
How big is the government salary increase?
Public servants receive a 4% cost-of-living adjustment from 1 April 2026. The National Treasury projected inflation (CPI) at 3.4% for 2026/27, but the wage agreement has a “floor” that keeps the increase from dropping below 4%. Because the projected CPI came in under 4%, the increase is deemed to be 4%. This follows the 5.5% increase public servants received in 2025/26.
The adjustment is pensionable, which means it counts towards your pension, not just your monthly take-home pay.
Who gets the increase?
The 4% applies to employees appointed under the Public Service Act of 1994 who sit on salary levels 1 to 12, as well as those paid under an Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD), such as many nurses, social workers and medical officers.
To see where your level sits and how notches work, read our guide to government salary levels in South Africa.
Who is excluded from this increase?
Some groups are not covered by DPSA Circular 15 of 2026, because their pay is handled by their own Executive Authorities. These include:
- Senior Management Service (SMS), salary levels 13 to 16
- The South African Police Service (SAPS)
- Basic education staff
- The South African National Defence Force (SANDF)
- Correctional Services
If you work in one of these, your adjustment is dealt with separately, though it usually follows a similar path. For police pay specifically, see our SAPS salaries and ranks guide.
Why 4% and not 3.4%?
The multi-year agreement, PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2025, links yearly increases to projected CPI but sets a range with a floor of 4% and a ceiling of 6%. When the projected CPI for the year is below 4%, the increase is lifted to the 4% floor. When it is above 6%, it is capped at 6%. For 2026/27, the projected 3.4% was below the floor, so the deemed increase is 4%.
How the 4% affects your monthly salary
Your increase is simply your current pensionable salary multiplied by 4%. The table below shows how that works at a few income points. These are illustrations of the calculation, not official level figures, use them to estimate your own rise.
| Current monthly salary | 4% increase | New monthly salary |
|---|---|---|
| R10 000 | R400 | R10 400 |
| R15 000 | R600 | R15 600 |
| R20 000 | R800 | R20 800 |
| R25 000 | R1 000 | R26 000 |
| R30 000 | R1 200 | R31 200 |
Remember this is a gross increase. Your take-home rise will be a little lower once PAYE and other deductions are applied. To see your net figure, use our take-home pay calculator.
Cost-of-living adjustment versus pay progression
There are two different things that can raise your pay, and it helps to keep them apart.
- The cost-of-living adjustment is the 4% across-the-board increase from 1 April 2026.
- Pay progression (moving up a notch within your level for good performance) is separate. For the 2025/26 performance cycle, pay progression takes effect from 1 July 2026.
So a qualifying employee could see the 4% in April and then a further notch increase in July.
Intern stipends
Departments must align intern stipends and developmental programme payments with the new salary scales from 1 April 2026, so interns are not left behind by the adjustment.
When will the increase reflect on your payslip?
The adjustment is implemented on PERSAL, the government payroll system, and is processed programmatically. Most departments apply it in the April 2026 payroll, backdated to 1 April 2026 where processing runs late. If yours has not reflected, raise it with your department’s human resources office rather than the DPSA directly.
How we worked this out
The figures on this page come from DPSA Circular 15 of 2026, which implements the cost-of-living adjustment for salary levels 1 to 12 and OSDs with effect from 1 April 2026, and from PSCBC Resolution 1 of 2025, the multi-year public service wage agreement. The worked examples apply the confirmed 4% to sample salaries and are rounded. Confirm your own figure with your department’s HR office or on your April payslip.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the government salary increase in 2026? It is 4%, effective 1 April 2026, for public servants on salary levels 1 to 12 and those on OSDs. It is a pensionable cost-of-living adjustment for the 2026/27 financial year.
Why is the increase 4% when inflation is only 3.4%? The PSCBC agreement has a floor of 4%. When projected CPI falls below 4%, the increase is lifted to that floor, so the deemed increase for 2026/27 is 4%.
Do SAPS, teachers and soldiers also get the 4%? Not under this circular. SAPS, basic education, the SANDF and Correctional Services are excluded, and their adjustments are handled by their own Executive Authorities, usually along similar lines.
Is the 4% increase pensionable? Yes. The adjustment is pensionable, so it counts towards your pension as well as your monthly salary.
What about pay progression? Pay progression is separate from the 4%. For the 2025/26 performance cycle, qualifying employees receive it from 1 July 2026.
Did MPs and judges get the same increase? No. Public office-bearers were dealt with separately. The President determined increases of 4.1% for judges, magistrates and traditional leaders, and 3.8% for members of the national executive and Parliament, also from 1 April 2026.
