Jan Mentz, Academic Dean of Belgium Campus ITVersity

Johannesburg, 21 February 2024 Key highlights of the National Budget include the projection of achieving a primary budget surplus in 2023/24 and stabilising debt by 2026/27. This indicates a prudent approach aimed at ensuring fiscal sustainability in the medium term.

Moreover, the allocation of significant funds towards education, healthcare, and social protection programmes underscores the government's focus on human capital development and social welfare.

One notable aspect is the emphasis on skills development and social welfare. A significant portion of the budget, including additional funding of R25.7 billion over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period, is allocated to sustain salaries of essential public servants including teachers. This investment in human capital is crucial for the country's long-term development and socioeconomic stability.

The Minister said that National Treasury was able to protect the budgets of critical programmes such as the school nutrition programme – something which I believe should have been expanded with an eye to future skills development. The programme provides food to pupils in almost 20,000 schools.

Another important initiative was to increase the early childhood development grant from R1.6 billion to R2 billion – a drop in the ocean perhaps but at least a step in the right direction. 

Furthermore, the allocation of R7.4 billion towards the presidential employment initiative demonstrates a commitment to tackling unemployment and fostering economic growth. However, it will be essential to ensure effective implementation and monitoring of such programs to maximize their impact.

While the budget doesn't explicitly outline new initiatives, the continued investment in education and culture, with 24.4% of total function budgets allocated, underscores the government's recognition of the importance of nurturing talent and fostering creativity. However, it's imperative for the government to ensure that these funds are efficiently utilised to address skill gaps, improve educational outcomes, and support innovation and entrepreneurship, thus contributing to economic growth and competitiveness.

Overall, while the budget maintains fiscal discipline and prioritises social welfare, more targeted measures and robust implementation strategies are needed to effectively address the skills gap and promote sustainable economic development. This will require close collaboration between the government, private sector, and civil society to leverage resources and expertise for maximum impact.

ABOUT BELGIUM CAMPUS ITVERSITY NPC 

Belgium Campus is a South Africa-based pioneering ITversity in South Africa that helps raise the bar in private education in the ICT industry. The higher education institution collaborates with the industry to provide students with the financial support necessary to forge successful futures. Well-established and renowned, it has campuses in Pretoria, Kempton Park, and a newly opened campus in Stellenbosch. Its success stems from a Participative Development Model of Education which accounts for the needs of students, industry, academia, government, and society alike, resulting in demand-driven, student-centred, and business-focused higher learning. 

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF BELGIUM CAMPUS 

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