Recent changes to South Africa’s Public Administration Management Act have made specific training programmes legally required for public servants across national, provincial and local government.
The National School of Government (NSG) must now design and deliver compulsory education and training that officials are required to complete before appointment and during their employment to continue in their roles.
The amendments represent a significant shift from three decades of voluntary training, where officials could attend courses only if they chose to, their managers approved it, or their departments prioritised it.
From voluntary to mandatory
Government previously attempted to standardise training through incremental steps. A two-day induction course became compulsory for new officials in 2008, with completion becoming a requirement for job confirmation and pay increases by 2012.
In 2020, senior managers were required to complete a pre-entry qualification known as Nyukela before appointment.
The NSG currently delivers 10 compulsory courses, including ethics, anti-corruption, supply chain management and induction. Cabinet has directed an expansion to 20 courses.
Impact on employment and salaries
Completing the compulsory courses now determines whether an official’s appointment is confirmed or whether they qualify for a salary increase.
Senior managers face additional requirements, including completing a pre-entry certificate before appointment and spending a minimum number of days in training every few years whilst holding senior positions.
The NSG is linking compulsory short courses to structured learning pathways, enabling public servants to progressively build knowledge and skills over time. Learning will increasingly form part of development journeys creating routes into occupational qualifications and professional learning programmes.
Evidence of improvement
Early results suggest the approach delivers measurable outcomes. In one Limpopo municipality, officials who completed compulsory supply chain management training showed improvements in managing public money, with better compliance and stronger audit outcomes.
Dino Poonsamy, chief director for strategy and systems at the National School of Government, said the reforms aim to ensure officials making decisions affecting people’s lives have been trained and tested on how to do their jobs properly.
“This is not a technical requirement but rather one of the more consequential public sector reforms in recent years,” Poonsamy said.
Gaps in coverage
Not all public servants are covered yet. At local government level, ongoing training for municipal employees generally still depends on management approval rather than being a standing requirement.
The South African Local Government Association has argued that leadership training in local government should not be optional, particularly as local government is where most citizens interact directly with the state.
The effectiveness of the reforms will depend on whether the public experiences improved services as a result of the compulsory training over the next several years.
