Behind every service delivery debate is a budget line, which is why we attended the Finance Cluster media and stakeholder briefing at Parliament to better understand how public funds are allocated, managed and how young people can be visible in spaces where these decisions are made.
Members present included Dr Mkhacani Maswanganyi, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance; Ms Sanny Ndhlovu, Chairperson of the Select Committee on Finance; Dr Mmusi Maimane, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Appropriations; and Mr Songezo Zibi, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. Together they unpacked the country’s fiscal direction and outlined how public participation in the budget process works from committee level all the way through to the NCOP.
Here’s what we picked up:
- National Treasury forecasts GDP growth of 1.6% for 2026, below regional and global averages.
- Low-income households spend up to 57% of their income on transport.
- Municipal inefficiencies continue to stall infrastructure and service delivery.
- Local government remains underfunded relative to its constitutional mandate to deliver basic services, especially in rural areas.
While Members of Parliament emphasised on stabilising the economy, looking through the pillars that guide our work, we recognise that economic stability is important, but it must translate into sustainable opportunities for young people.
Growth is only transformative if it is labour-absorbing: Infrastructure, manufacturing, and public investment must be intentionally designed to create pathways into work for young people, with measurable targets, not assumptions that opportunity will trickle down.
Spending must deliver employability: The significant allocation to health and education signals commitment. But volume of spending is not the same as impact. For us, the critical question is whether education and skills investments are aligned with labour market demand. Are young people leaving school and training institutions equipped for sectors that are expanding?
The Cost of Looking for Work: Transport costs are still a massive barrier. When low-income households are spending more than half their income just to get around, hunting for a job becomes nearly impossible. Economic participation can’t expand if access to opportunities is both geographically and financially blocked. Reducing the cost of participating in the labour market is key to inclusive growth.
We are currently running a survey on the real cost of looking for work. Fill it in and help us build the evidence that makes this impossible to ignore.
Participation in fiscal processes must reach people where they are: These processes are open, but they are not always advertised in ways that are accessible or inclusive. We’ll be sharing the pathways for public participation in the Appropriations Portfolio process on our socials. Keep an eye out, because your voice in that process matters.
That’s why the team was there. Not as observers, but as people who believe that the young South Africans most affected by these decisions deserve to be in the room. We’ll keep showing up, and we’ll keep making sure you know how to do the same.