10,000 labour inspector jobs could be advertised before April

The Department of Employment and Labour has been told to start advertising 10,000 new labour inspector posts now, so the first appointees can start work in April 2027. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said this on 21 October, at a media briefing before his mini-budget speech (IOL).

No posts have been advertised yet. Hiring will be phased over about three years, not done in one go.

Where do the 10,000 jobs come from?

President Cyril Ramaphosa promised them in his State of the Nation Address on 12 February. He said police, Home Affairs and labour inspectors would work together on immigration and labour law, and that government would "hire an additional 10 000 labour inspectors this year" (gov.za).

The department later said the 10,000 posts are permanent jobs, separate from its Project 20K internships (DFA). In April the department said its inspection and enforcement branch had a staff establishment of 2,392 (PMG).

Why has nobody been hired yet?

There was no money for it. In a written reply to Parliament dated 18 September, Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth said the department had asked Treasury for funding and was still waiting. No inspectors had been approved, advertised, appointed or deployed (PMG).

Godongwana said the promise came after the 2026 budget was already finalised, so Treasury is funding it from the next financial year, which starts in April 2027. "We advised the Minister to begin to advertise so that by April they can start working," he said (IOL).

His mini-budget speech confirmed only that government is "increasing the number of labour inspectors", without giving a figure or amount (National Treasury).

How much will it cost?

The department estimated the full 10,000 posts at about R4.28 billion: R3.57 billion for salaries and R714 million for goods and services (PMG). Treasury has not said how much of that it has set aside.

Where will the adverts appear?

When the posts open, they should appear on the Department of Employment and Labour vacancies page and in the DPSA's weekly Public Service Vacancy Circular, where national departments advertise jobs.