Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni: GCIS Budget Vote 2024/25

Address on the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) 2024/25 Budget Vote, Minister in the Presidency, Ms Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, 12 July 2024 

Honourable House Chairperson
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, 
Honourable Khusela Sangoni
Deputy Ministers in The Presidency, Ms Nonceba Mhlauli and Mr Kenny Morolong
Members of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies;
Chairpersons of the Boards of MDDA and BrandSA
Management of the GCIS, MDDA and BrandSA
Honourable House Chairperson

Our recent general election and the build-up to the establishment of a Government of 
the 7th administration somewhat obscured a significant date in the history of our 
country: 12 June 1964 – 60 years and one month from where we are today.
This was the day Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and seven Rivonia Trialists were 
sentenced to life in prison by Judge Quartus de Wet, who said the only leniency he 
could extend to the prisoners was to impose imprisonment for life instead of the death 
penalty. Madiba recalled this moment in the following way - “We looked at each other 
and smiled. There had been a great collective gasp in the courtroom when De Wet 
announced that he was not sentencing us to death.”

House Chairperson
As we observe Nelson Mandela Month and six days from now Nelson Mandela 
International Day, we can, despite all the challenges we face, smile at one another as 
South Africans to celebrate the freedom we earned through the sacrifice of Nelson 
Mandela, his comrades and millions of South Africans who resisted apartheid. These 
are smiles of appreciation at the fortitude of our nation and our ability to reach out to 
one another to heal the divisions of our past.

In 2024, as we mark 30 years of freedom, democracy and development and our 
reintegration into the global community of nations, we are continuing the task of 
healing the divisions of our past and overcoming the challenges of our present.
Leading the nation in this effort is our government which derives its mandate from the 
Constitution and frames its priorities in the focal areas of transformation demanded 
from all political parties who form this administration and parliament.

This historic mandate is not confined to political parties represented in this parliament, 
but this is a national effort in which all South Africans must participate, as each of us 
act to create the South Africa in which we wish to live, raise our children and exercise 
our economic skills following the 2024 election.

This mandate must build on the great strides we have made since 1994 are reflected 
in Census 2022, which paints a picture of a society on the move, and which reflects 
improvements across most indicators. The findings of the Census 2022 also 
conclusively demonstrated that our development is not by chance, but rather by design 
from government programmes since 1994.

Today millions of households have access to housing, water, sanitation and electricity 
when compared to 1994. Our policies have facilitated the greater economic 
transformation and the empowerment of previously disadvantaged individuals. We 
have introduced laws and policies on worker rights, employment equity and broadbased black empowerment. There has been strong investment in infrastructure, public 
employment programmes and achieving higher levels of economic growth. This is a 
journey that has had and will have many facets into the future.

Honourable members
I wonder how many of us have spotted the Democracy Bus on our streets.
To draw South Africans from across the country into our celebrations, the South 
African Road Agency in partnership with government has launched the Democracy 
Bus that will travel to different parts of our amazing country – from our nation’s towering 
cities to deep rural communities.

Government calls on all South Africans to “Get On The Bus” so that they can see and 
experience the changes we have gone through, as well re-live the many pivotal 
moments in our democratic journey.
As the bus travels on our roads across all provinces to 30 locations in various parts of 
our country, citizens will have an opportunity to be part of our ‘Spot the Bus: Get on 
the Bus’ campaign. Citizens can keep a look out for information on the bus’s journey 
through a digital map that will be published on various social media platforms.

The bus’ journey is also a celebration of the achievements of this country that is ranked 
11th globally for the extent of our road network and 19th globally for the extent of the 
paved and tarred road network. This celebration of our world standard road network 
also acknowledges work that still needs to be done to ensure that all South Africans 
have access to passable roads and that no community is separated by a river or 
stream without a bridge.

The Bus is also expected to stop at GCIS Thusong Service centres, which are 
earmarked as key activation sites. It will also stop at venues for community meetings, 
Izimbizo and national events, as well as dams, police stations, schools, clinics and 
hospitals built over the years.

House Chairperson,
I deliver the Budget Vote of the Government Communication and Information System 
for the 2024/25 financial year, in the full realisation that the task before us is a 
mammoth one. In the coming period, the GCIS will have to be at the forefront of 
engaging citizens on the work of the Government, with an emphasis on mobilising all 
of society to be part of the unity, change and progress in our country. This moment in 
our history is one for all South Africans to make their voices heard and their actions 
seen and felt across society.

GCIS has put forward bold and decisive plans to use the strong communication system 
it has developed over the years to ensure that South Africans remain abreast of key 
developments that take place within the country. At its core, the GCIS is responsible 
for providing strategic leadership and coordinating a government communication 
system that ensures that the public is informed and have access to information on 
government programmes and policies that benefit them.

The department will therefore use communication to help citizens across the length 
and breadth of our nation to participate in and enjoy the benefits of our hard-won
democracy. It will share critical information on government services and programmes 
as well as create opportunities to open the economy to more South Africans.
The government-wide communication system is also tasked with rebuilding trust 
between citizens and the government the nation has put in place and to motivate 
communities to replace cynicism, suspicion and despondency with active citizenship, 
social involvement and confidence in our future.

In the 2024/25 financial year, the Government Communication and Information 
System will dedicate its expertise and resources to supporting the work of the 
Government of National Unity, so that we can provide South Africans and our partners 
with information that can help us to move the country forward. Our first task, as the 
country navigates the uncharted waters of the GNU, is to educate citizens about the 
establishment of the Government of National Unity which in its current form is 
unprecedented in the history of our democracy.

As part of the new administration and with an equally inclusive cohort of 
communications professionals, GCIS will spearhead a well-functioning government 
communication system that prioritises informed and empowered citizens.
We will work to ensure improved governance and service excellence, while also 
continuing the work of ensuring a transformed mainstream print and digital media, 
advertising and community media landscape.

Honourable members,
Over the past period, the GCIS has worked hard to improve relations with the media, 
and this has been demonstrated by increased attendance at media briefings facilitated 
by the GCIS, regular engagements with senior journalists and editors and media 
webinars with the National Press Club on dominant issues in the communication 
environment.

In the same period, the GCIS hosted and facilitated a series of continental media 
platforms recognising the Chairship of the African Union by the President of South 
Africa in 2020/ 2021.
In our recent past, GCIS initiated priority communication campaigns on the Economic 
Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP), gender-based violence and femicide 
(GBVF), and anti-corruption. The department also allocated significant resources to 
coordinate and support communication during the flooding in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern 
Cape, Northern Cape and North-West.

Honourable members,
The work of GCIS has many facets and this includes monitoring the implementation 
of the Cabinet approved Government Communication Policy through the Government 
Communication Excellence Tool (G-CET). Strengthening the coordination and 
monitoring of the government-wide communication system is a key feature in ensuring 
coherence of messaging and sustained information sharing across the priorities of the 
Government. 
Along with its monitoring and evaluation work, the GCIS will also continue to conduct 
research to assess the pulse of the nation to provide strategic leadership and support 
in Government communication. This is done through independent quantitative and 
qualitative research to assess the communication environment for government 
communication and public perceptions on government performance in key priority 
areas.

House Chairperson 
South Africa is confronted with misinformation, malinformation and disinformation 
continue to be a threat as we execute our mandate. This is also a global challenge 
especially with the introduction of Artificial Intelligence. We have and continue to work 
with various stakeholders to mitigate this threat, especially with the communication 
moving more to social media platforms.

Digital media, which is proven to have growing penetration, is expanding at an astounding rate and has become an integral part of our daily lives. It continues to shape the way we connect, communicate and consume 
information. Therefore, work is underway to increase the reach of all GCIS social 
media accounts as well as the websites such as www.gcis.gov.za and www.gov.za. 
This will help to ensure that events on government programmes are live streamed, 
giving citizens more options for accessing government information.

GCIS will also continue to roll out and support tried and trusted strategies such as 
Imbizo, direct community engagements and activations and the use of Thusong 
Centres to ensure that nobody is left behind. 
One of the GCIS programmes this year will be to communicate interventions that will 
improve economic growth as well as communicating economic opportunities available 
to South Africans. The pillars of the communication programme will include economic 
reforms and unblocking the challenges facing the economy; employment programmes 
especially for the youth; resolving the energy challenge; and showcasing catalytic 
infrastructure projects.

Another priority is the fight against crime and to this end, GCIS is implementing an 
Integrated Crime Management Campaign which will target the areas of organized and 
violent crime; illegal mining; cable theft and vandalism of essential infrastructure, along 
with the scourge of violence against women, children and vulnerable members of 
society.

To strengthen Stakeholder partnerships, the GCIS has established a Directorate of 
Stakeholder Management and Special Projects to marshal all stakeholders in a 
common front against our social issues. We learnt during COVID-19, the vaccination 
campaigns and in the implementation of the Energy Action Plan that partnerships are
effective in bringing about the social change. The unit will build and maintain effective 
relations with key stakeholders such as umbrella bodies of faith, non-governmental, 
civil society, labour, business and sectoral formations of youth, women, children and 
people with disabilities. It will include strategic communication partnerships that will 
improve the reach and impact of government communication.

Honourable members
In this period the task of uniting South Africans, ensuring greater social cohesion and 
striving for inclusive nation building anchored on a central idea, will also take front and 
center in the work of Brand South Africa and we ensure that the brand of South Africa 
takes prominence in the international arena.

We are re-imagining The Play Your Part campaign which is a nationwide initiative 
created to inspire, empower and celebrate active citizenship in South Africa. It aims to 
lift the spirit of our nation by inspiring all South Africans to contribute to positive 
change, become involved and start doing. It calls on South Africans to use some of 
their time, money, skills or goods to contribute to a better future for all.

This initiative calls on citizens to be the change we want and to use the power within our hands to 
make a change. 
Another entity of the GCIS is the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA)
which last financial year celebrated 20 years of its existence. The MDDA has made 
significant strides in developing the community media sector to reflect the needs and 
aspirations of all South Africans.

In its duty of providing funding and other support for 
marginalised groups to enable them to start and sustain their own community media 
projects, it has supported over 586 community and small commercial media projects 
over the years despite its meagre budget. These include 321 community radio and 
community television stations, along with 185 community print projects such as 
community newspapers, magazines and small commercial print, as well as digital 
platforms.

The work of the MDDA is important because community media serves to connect 
people with shared interests and concerns. It amplifies the unique stories and 
experiences within a community and promoting understanding among its members. In 
essence, community media acts as a catalyst for social cohesion, empowering 
individuals to actively engage in dialogue, bridge cultural gaps and collectively address 
challenges for greater good of society.

In the previous financial year and the beginning of this year, we crisscrossed the country opening the state-of-the-art studios and listening to the stories of resilience in how some of these community radios were 
established and survived over the years, inspired us to do more. With the help of the 
MDDA, communities radio stations have built functional studios with state-of-the-art
broadcast equipment and managed to remain on air, many of them in remote 
locations.

The media projects have also managed to set up news departments 
producing daily news bulletins reporting on issues of significance for the benefit their 
communities. The legacy of the MDDA is seen and felt in the vibrant community radio, 
tv and print sector, which truly reflects a plurality of voices, and opinions.

Honourable Chairperson,
On the financial allocations, the team of GCIS is determined to make prudent use of 
the financial resources South Africans have entrusted to us. We are committed to 
harness the department’s limited resources in an efficient manner so that we get the 
most value for money

The budget allocation to GCIS over the next three years of the Medium-Term
Expenditure Framework amounts to R2,312 billion which is spread as follows:
• 2024/25: R740, 178 million
• 2025/26: R768, 574 million
• 2026/27: R802, 785 million

The GCIS initial allocation of R782, 847 million for the 2024/25 financial year was 
reduced by R42, 669 million due to government-wide budget reductions implemented 
by National Treasury.

Over the 2024 MTEF period, the overall budget reductions implemented amount to 
R141, 563 million and are implemented as follows: 
• 2024/25: R42,669 million reduced from Brand SA budget;
• 2025/26: R15,926 million reduced from GCIS budget and R31,929 
million reduced from Brand SA budget; and 
• 2026/27: R19,880 million reduced from GCIS budget and R31,159 
million reduced from Brand SA budget

Our current budget of R740, 178 million for this year is shared across operational 
costs, capital costs, and transfers & subsidies as follows:
• Our operating budget of R504, 385 million makes up 68% of the 
budget allocation. It caters for employee compensation of R295, 288 
million for 500 permanent positions and goods and services to the 
value of R209, 097 million.

• Transfers and subsidies of R226, 636 million reflects 31% of the 
budget allocation. Included in the transfers and subsidies allocation 
is R38, 568 million allocation for MDDA and R186, 716 million 
allocation for Brand SA.

Whilst this financial injection from the fiscus is appreciated, it should be highlighted 
that GCIS of the future requires an extensive capital budget to accelerate digital 
transformation technologies and ensure GCIS remains relevant, agile and productive 
by leveraging the best features of the fourth industrial revolution.

Honourable Members
I table this budget for your support, 
I wish to thank the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies 
for their continued support, insight and constructive oversight. In the coming year our 
partnership will be ever more pressing, and I am sure we will work together to ensure 
that we provide hope for a better tomorrow for all. 
I wish to thank my colleagues at the GCIS and its entities for the dedicated leadership 
and all staff members, for their continued support and invaluable contributions. In the 
coming period they will be at the forefront of driving hope and change, and I have no 
doubt they will continue to rise to the challenge as they have done before. 
I thank you.

Debate Closing Remarks by Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni

Honourable House Chairperson
I would like to thank all the political parties for bemoaning the paltry budget of the GCIS
whilst given the mammoth task of ensuring coherence of the government messaging 
in particular during this period of the GNU. I hope that will translate into a commitment 
with the Department as we engage National Treasury and the Portfolio Committee can 
engage with both the Finance and Appropriations Committees to ensure, at a 
minimum, a stop to further budget cuts for the GCIS but most importantly an increase 
in the Budget of the GCIS.

Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, 
We hope to work with your Committee to review the MDDA Amendment Act to align it 
to key technological developments and good corporate governance practices as well 
as community media sustainability will also be concluded in this period. In addition, we 
hope to have the support of the Portfolio Committee with the amendment of the 
relevant chapters of the Electronic Communications Act to ensure better protection 
and support for community media to:

• Enable community media to use more advertising to fund their sustainability 
11
• Protect community media from losing their frequencies and bring parity to the 
Regulations on the renewal of broadcasting licenses, and
• Enable a seamless and less onerous graduation path of community media to 
small commercial media, and small commercial media to commercial media.

The onerous and very expensive requirements imposed on community media 
go against the intended purpose of seeking media diversification through 
development and it is time the policy and legislative environment is updated to 
reflect current real

Thank you.