Higher education’s irregular spending soars to almost half a billion rand
Non-compliance with regulations and wasteful expenditure were among the reasons for the increased spending
The Auditor-General of South Africa has revealed a significant increase in irregular expenditure in the public higher education and training sector, with the total reaching R466 million in 2025/26, up from R176 million in 2024/25. The report, presented to Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training, identifies non-compliance, over-expenditure, and failure to comply with supply-chain management requirements as the main causes of this irregular spending.
The Services Seta was the biggest contributor, accounting for R232.2 million, followed by the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSeta) at R30.4 million, SAQA at R25.5 million, and the Local Government Sector Education and Training Authority (LGSeta) at R24.4 million. The Auditor-General, Tsakani Maluleke, warned that these irregular expenditures reduce funds available for training and skills development, weaken value for money, and divert resources from achieving organizational objectives.
She also highlighted that delays in finalising investigations undermine accountability and weaken public trust.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Citizen's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
