Create an enabling environment for inclusive growth in the ICT sector by developing policies and legislation that promote infrastructure investment and socioeconomic development.
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies is mandated to enable South Africa’s digital transformation in an effort to achieve digital inclusion and economic growth by creating an enabling policy and regulatory environment. This is done through the implementation of the 2016 National Integrated ICT Policy White Paper, which provides for the participation of multiple stakeholders for inclusive digital transformation, interventions to reinforce competition and facilitate innovation across the value chain, measures to address issues raised by ICT and convergence, and the establishment of a new national postal policy framework. It also provides for policies to address the digital divide and affordable access, supply-side issues and infrastructure rollout, and demand-side issues to facilitate inclusivity. The department derives its mandate from several acts and policies. Key among these are the: - Films and Publications Act (1996), as amended, which provides for the classification of certain films and publications, and establishes the Film and Publication Board and appeals tribunal - Postal Services Act (1998), as amended, which makes provision for the regulation of postal services - Broadcasting Act (1999), as amended, which establishes broadcasting policy in South Africa - Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Act (2000), which establishes the regulator in the sector - Electronic Communications Act (2005), as amended, which provides the legal framework for convergence in the broadcasting signal distribution and telecommunications sectors. It also allows for the granting of new licences and social obligations, the control of the radio frequency spectrum, and the regulation of electronic communication network services, electronic communication services and broadcasting services. - South African Post Bank SOC Ltd Act (2010), as amended, provides for the corporatisation of Postbank and its shareholding arrangements as well as the existence of the Post Office and its subsidiaries.
The Estimates of National Expenditure (ENE) is a book published along with the tabling of the budget for the new financial year.
A department's programmes are the activities that it spends money on during the financial year. Different programmes have different budgets, depending on their objectives and available budgets. More detail on the programmes is available in the department's Estimates of National Expenditure documents.
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In addition to exploring the department budget by programmes, the budget is classified according to Economic Classification.
The Economic Classification of a department's expenditure distinguishes between various categories of current expenditure and capital expenditure. The purpose of the economic classification is to categorise transactions according to type of object or input, such as compensation of employees or capital assets.
This visualisation highlights how many categories of expenditure there are for this department at Economic Classification level 4, and which ones are the biggest. year -- 2026-27
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Budget programmes will differ in composition of spending, from compensation of employees, transfers to other agencies and goods and services, depending on their objective.
Select an Economic Classification to filter the data in this chart and see how much programmes spend on that category.
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The Adjusted Estimates of National Expenditure (AENE) is a book published along with the tabling of the adjusted budget.
No adjusted budget data is available for this department for 2026-27.
Budgeted and actual expenditure for a department can increase or decrease from year to year. Changes in expenditure can follow shifts in departmental activities, priorities, efficiencies, and the price of goods and services over time.
The chart shows the department's latest available historical expenditure for past years, and planned expenditure for the current year and medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) years.
The phase used for each year is shown below:
Compare the adjusted appropriation to the main appropriation to see whether changes were made in the adjustments budget to the appropriations set out in the budget. The audited outcome shows what was actually spent.
Note: Direct charges against the National Revenue Fund are excluded.
Read more in the Annual Report on the department's website.
Compare the amount of budget allocated to each of this deparment’s programmes at each phase in the process leading up to the Audited Outcome
National Treasury, departments and commitees are busy with different things depending on the time of year: