28 June 2025
Honourable Speaker, Hon Members and South Africans at large
Introduction
Our mandate today requires us to look at how we position entities such as the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) for renewed growth and success within the current fiscal funding model. As we deliberate on the budget vote four on this matter, we must also consider the complexities of navigating the digital age. GCIS plays a central role in unifying government messaging and ensuring overall coherence in how policies and programmes are communicated to the public. This budget vote reflects the need to adequately resource GCIS, enabling it to be at the centre of well-coordinated government communication strategy. This serves as a first step towards achieving that goal.
The department’s expenditure is projected to grow by an average of 3.4% each year, rising from R 760.8 million in the 2024/25 financial year to R 842.2 million by 2027/28. Over the medium term, the total budget allocation stands at R2.5 billion, with R 804.5 million designated for transfers to its entities. The entities require an accountability framework for the funds which are being transferred to ensure accountability and qualitative and impactful spending.
The National Development Plan highlights the importance of bringing all South Africans together to work toward a shared vision. This vision is reflected in the GCIS’s 2024-2029 medium-term priorities, which guide its efforts. Over the next few years, the department will concentrate on keeping the public informed and empowered, managing communication for South Africa’s G20 presidency, and ensuring an efficient government communication system to advance the goals outlined in these key documents.
Programme Introduction
GCIS’s budget allocation is organised around three key programmes aimed at achieving its core objectives. It also highlights three focus areas: empowering citizens, effectively promoting South Africa during its G20 presidency, and maintaining a robust government communication system.
Strategic Positioning and Goals of GCIS.
From 2025/26 to 2029/30, the strategic plan of the GCIS underpins the importance of ensuring that all citizens have access to clear and timely information about government programs and policies. At the heart of this mission lies a focus on creating an informed citizenry through innovative platforms and multilingual content. To strengthen the overall national communication system, GCIS will implement the National Strategic Communication Framework (NCSF) to align with the messaging of the medium-term Development plan.
Honourable Speaker, it is essential to lay down GCIS’s strategic plans clearly as we deliberate this budget vote, as a robust strategy will guide the work of GCIS to shape both strategic planning and continued annual performance targets. Media Transformation remains the focus, with the revised Marketing, Advertising and communication (MAC) sector code driving diversity in print, digital and communication media following extensive consultation.
GCIS and the G20
As South Africa takes its G20 Presidency, R 48.9 million has been allocated to ensure complete and widespread engagement through the G20 process. The GCIS will implement comprehensive communication campaigns across multiple platforms and initiatives. Of the total budget, R27.6 million is earmarked for departmental execution, while R21.3 million supports Brand South Africa’s International position efforts. This Strategic communication approach serves the dual purpose of keeping the domestic audience engaged while effectively projecting South African Leadership on the Global stage.
Strengthening GCIS
It has always been evident, honourable speaker, that one of the significant drawbacks GCIS has been battling is funding to ensure effective positioning and full implementation of its mandate. Whether it is ministers prioritising communication through their Media Liaison Officers (MLOs) or a lack of collaborative efforts from departments to use GCIS as the primary distributor of key Government information, this revolves back to the central point of the continued need to strengthen GCIS. Fragmented Communication breeds confusion and uncertainty. It’s especially true in today’s digital age, where misinformation and disinformation are rampant.
Too often, different departments deliver disjointed messages, leaving citizens unsure where to source accurate and dependable information. This budget vote must seek to centralise programmes that strategically promote and integrate intergovernmental communication and collaboration, which will reinforce the GCIS mandate to oversee and standardise government communication.
Alignment of National and Provincial APPs
Honourable Speaker, enforcing a continuous working model through harmonising work across provincial and district offices is essential. These respective offices of the GCIS will implement a grassroots communication strategy through community dialogue, radio broadcasts, as well as targeted outreach campaigns at high-traffic public spaces.
These initiatives, honourable speaker, are designed to keep citizens informed about government programs and opportunities. Over the medium term, the GCIS has set a target of conducting 1250 annual community and stakeholder engagements, including supporting the presidential imbizos. These platforms facilitate direct interaction between national leadership and the community.
This comprehensive outreach program, operating under the provincial and local liaison subprogramme of the Intergovernmental Coordination and Stakeholder Management Programme, is projected to require R63.7 million in funding over the medium term. The investment will enable the GCIS to maintain a presence over all provinces and districts while ensuring that government communication reaches citizens where they live and work. These efforts demonstrate the department’s commitment to participatory democracy and inclusive governance by creating multiple channels for citizens to access information while providing mechanisms for their Voices to be heard.
Budget vote 4 considers both the allocation to the GCIS and the MDDA. The MDDA expenditure is projected to decline at an average annual rate of 4.2%, decreasing from R132 million in the 2024/2025 financial year to R115.9 million by 2027/25. The MDDA is mandated to drive broader industry transformation and sector capacity building support to community and small commercial media outlets, particularly promoting indigenous language content and local community developments. Programmes initiated under the MDDA recognise the media platforms’ vital role in underserved areas, as these programmes must be developed and supported in that regard.
Conclusion
Honourable Speaker, as I conclude, this budget vote 4 clarifies that the Government Communication and Information System stands at the forefront of our country’s national democratic engagement and dialogue. The allocation represents investments in the digital future of our democracy. As we support this budget vote, we do so with the full appreciation that effective communication is central to any thriving democracy as it bridges the Gap between government and its citizens.
The ANC endorses this budget.