R300 million set aside for the last round of councillor exit gratuities

Amount allocated or paid in once-off gratuities to non-returning councillors after each local government election, in R-millions. The 2026 figure is a budget provision; 2016 reflects funds made available, not necessarily disbursed.

~R973m

estimated total outflows across all four election cycles

15 yrs

duration of the gratuity practice, 2011–2026

Each election cycle since 2011 has triggered a fresh round of exit payments, with more than 5,500 applications screened as eligible in 2016 alone — the highest uptake on record. Government says 2026 will be the final round, bringing estimated total outflows across the four cycles to close to R1 billion.