Over 1,800 senior government officials ‘unqualified’ for their positions

Almost two thousand senior managers in government at both national and provincial levels are considered to have no qualification for the position they occupy.

This is according to the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) with data taken from PERSAL – the central system used for the administration of the public service payroll – in response to a parliamentary Q&A.

The department was asked for the total number of senior managers within the Public Service that do not qualify for their current positions as of March 2023.

“In terms of information taken from PERSAL, as of 1 March 2023, there were 1,874 senior managers within the Public Service who have no qualifications for the positions that they currently occupy,” said the DPSA.

The minimum qualification requirements for senior managers under the 2016 directive for the appointment of senior management service (SMS) members are as follows:

  • Director and Chief Director level: Undergraduate qualification on NQF Level 7; and
  • Deputy Director General and HOD: Undergraduate qualification and a post-graduate qualification on NQF Level 8.

Senior managers who are considered to have no qualification for the position they occupy are officials in positions who either do not poses the minimum NQF level qualification or qualifications have not been captured on PERSAL by the department that they work in.

The department said, however, that 1,372 of these managers within national and provincial departments were appointed before the minimum requirement directive was implemented in August 2016, while 502 were appointed after the fact.

“It should be noted that engagements are continuing with departments to ensure that all qualification details are updated on PERSAL, especially for senior managers appointed after August 2016,” said the DPSA.

“The DPSA is intervening to investigate appointments made after 2016, and information obtained indicates that some departments may not be updating their information on PERSAL, even when senior managers are in compliance with minimum requirements,” it added.

The number of unqualified senior managers per national and provincial department is listed in the tables below.

National departments

Department Number of unqualified senior managers
National Treasury 64
National Prosecuting Authority 61
Correctional Services 49
Public Works and Infrastructure 49
Higher Education and Training 48
Employment and Labour 44
Water and Sanitation 42
Health 39
International Relations and Cooperation 33
Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development 31
Cooperative Governance 31
Human Settlements 28
Mineral Resources and Energy 26
Home Affairs 25
Environment, Forestry and Fisheries 24
Transport 22
Statistics South Africa 16
Justice and Constitutional Development 15
Public Enterprises 13
The Presidency 13
Sports, Arts and Culture 12
Science and Innovation 11
Trade, Industry and Competition 11
Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation 10
Tourism 9
Basic Education 7
Communications and Digital Technologies 7
Office of the Chief Justice 7
Public Service and Administration 7
Traditional Affairs 7
Independent Police Investigative Directorate 5
Social Development 5
Government Communication and Information System 4
Police 4
Small Business Development 4
Office of the Public Service Commission 3
Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities 3
Civilian Secretariat for the Police Service 2
Military Veterans 2
Total: 845

Provincial departments 

Department Number of unqualified senior managers
Gauteng (264)
Health 44
Education 32
Provincial Treasury 30
Office of the Premier 28
Agriculture and Rural Development 20
Roads and Transport 18
Human Settlements 17
E-Government 13
Economic Development 13
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs 12
Community Safety 12
Infrastructure Development 11
Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation 10
Social Development 4
Kwa-Zulu Natal (139)
Education 26
Transport 19
Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs 16
Finance 16
Office of the Premier 13
Health 12
Social Development 11
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs 6
Arts and Culture 5
Community Safety and Liaison 5
Human Settlements 4
Public Works 4
Agriculture and Rural Development 2
Eastern Cape (137)
Health 38
Education 18
Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism 12
Human Settlements 12
Rural Development and Agrarian Reform 12
Social Development 12
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs 9
Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture 8
Transport 7
Office of the Premier 3
Public Works and Infrastructure 3
Provincial Treasury 2
Community Safety 1
Limpopo (119)
Health 34
Education 18
Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs 17
Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure 13
Transport and Community Safety 12
Economic Development, Environment and Tourism 9
Social Development 5
Agriculture and Rural Development 4
Office of the Premier 3
Provincial Treasury 2
Sports, Arts and Culture 2
Mpumalanga (112)
Health 26
Human Settlements 14
Public Works, Roads and Transport 13
Education 10
Office of the Premier 10
Social Development 8
Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs 7
Economic Development and Tourism 7
Provincial Treasury 7
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs 5
Community Safety, Security and Liaison 4
Culture, Sport and Recreation 1
North West (99)
Provincial Treasury 20
Public Works and Roads 17
Agriculture and Rural Development 12
Office of the Premier 10
Education 8
Social Development 8
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs 6
Community Safety and Transport Management 5
Health 5
Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation 3
Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism 3
Human Settlements 2
Free State (68)
Health 15
Agriculture 12
Education 10
Office of the Premier 7
Police, Roads and Transport 6
Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs 5
Human Settlements 4
Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation 3
Public Works 2
Social Development 2
Economic Dev, Tourism and Environmental Affairs 1
Provincial Treasury 1
Northern Cape (49)
Education 10
Health 7
Roads and Public Works 7
Office of the Premier 5
Sport, Arts and Culture 5
Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Affairs 3
Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs 3
Economic Development and Tourism 3
Provincial Treasury 2
Social Development 2
Transport, Safety and Liaison 2
Western Cape (42)
The Premier 12
Health 10
Transport and Public Works 6
Economic Development and Tourism 3
Human Settlements 3
Local Government 3
Social Development 3
Environmental Affairs and Development Planning 1
Provincial Treasury 1
Total: 1,029
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