Ramaphosa’s 20,000-job pledge stuck without funding - IOL

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s promise to hire 10,000 agricultural extension officers and a further 10,000 labour inspectors appears to remain unfunded, months after he made the commitment.

Agriculture Minister Willem Aucamp said the Department of Agriculture had not yet received a dedicated budget allocation to implement the commitment and was still engaging National Treasury and the Presidency to secure funding.

“The Department of Agriculture (DoA) has not yet received a dedicated budget allocation for the implementation of the President’s commitment to employ 10,000 Agricultural Extension Practitioners announced during the 2026 State of the Nation Address,” Aucamp said.

“With reference to the response to the written parliamentary question 4492, the DoA is currently engaging with the National Treasury and the Presidency on mechanisms to secure sustainable funding for the implementation of this commitment,” he said.

Earlier this year, Ramaphosa said in his State of the Nation Address that the government would deploy 10,000 new extension officers to support farmers, improve agricultural productivity and create employment opportunities for young people in the agricultural sector.

“We will deploy 10,000 new Extension Officers to support farmers and improve agricultural productivity. This will give rise to many opportunities for young people to be employed in the agricultural sector,” he said.

The government is also facing questions over another employment commitment.

IOL previously reported that the government's plan to recruit 10,000 additional labour inspectors had yet to begin, with no new inspectors appointed as of August 2026.

Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth confirmed this in a written reply to Parliament, saying the department was still working to secure funding from National Treasury before recruitment and selection could begin.

“Currently, the Department is busy with sourcing funding from National Treasury to enable us to move with recruitment and selection processes,” she said.

The recruitment plan was also announced by  Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address in February 2026.

The additional inspectors are intended to strengthen the State’s capacity to enforce labour laws, including action against employers who employ foreign nationals without the required documentation.