South Africa Sets Out GBV Funding and Service Targets in October Budget

South Africa | Gender-based violence and public accountability | 21 October 2026

South Africa’s government has set out funding and service targets intended to improve its response to violence against women. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced R3.8 billion, reprioritised over the medium term, to appoint 3,552 social workers. Another R186 million is allocated to forensic and investigative capacity, and R157.4 million to improve coordination and oversight.

The government says it intends to expand sexual offences courts from 55 to 101 and Thuthuzela Care Centres, which assist survivors of sexual violence, from 72 to 80 by 2028/29.

These are budget allocations and plans, not evidence that new staff have been hired or services delivered. The distinction between reprioritised resources and entirely new funding matters. People seeking protection will judge the programme by whether help becomes easier to obtain, evidence is handled promptly and cases reach court.

Sources: Finance Minister’s 21 October budget statement; SAnews, 21 October. These national allocations do not change the Observatory’s incident counts.