The National Assembly (NA) approved two key reports during its plenary yesterday afternoon. The first approved a 4.1% salary adjustment for members of the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) for the 2025/26 financial year and the second recommends a shortlist of candidates for the newly established Office of the Small Enterprise Ombud, a body created to support small businesses.
The NA approved the Report of the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities on the draft notice dated 10 January 2026 on the Determination of Remuneration of Independent Constitutional Institutions, including members of the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE).
The CGE is a Chapter 9 institution – an independent body that support South Africa’s constitutional democracy. Its mandate is to promote, protect and monitor gender equality, and to advise Parliament and the public on issues affecting women and vulnerable groups.
The draft notice was submitted by the President, requesting the National Assembly to consider the determination of salaries and allowances of members of independent constitutional institutions in accordance with the legislative framework governing the remuneration of office-bearers of Chapter 9 institutions.
The matter was referred to the Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities on 25 March 2026 for consideration and report. The committee considered the draft notice in line with section 219(5) of the Constitution, which provides for the establishment of frameworks for determining the remuneration of office-bearers of institutions supporting constitutional democracy, including the Commission for Gender Equality.
The determination is further governed by the Determination of Remuneration of Office-Bearers of Independent Constitutional Institutions Laws Amendment Act, 2014, and the Commission for Gender Equality Act, 1996.
In making the determination, the President considered recommendations from the Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers. The commission considered the roles and responsibilities of office-bearers, affordability considerations, inflation and the fiscal position of the State, and recommended a 4.1% salary adjustment for public office-bearers for the 2025/26 financial year.
The new remuneration levels for CGE members, effective from 1 April 2025, are as follows: Chairperson, R1 340 531 per annum; Deputy Chairperson, R1 147 500 per annum; Commissioners, R1 067 814 per annum; and part-time members, a sitting allowance of R4 237 per day. A full copy of the report is available here:
The National Assembly also approved the report of the Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development on the appointment of the Small Enterprise Ombud. This follows the enactment of the National Small Enterprise Amendment Act, 2024 (Act No. 21 of 2024), which established the Office of the Small Enterprise Ombud Service to address complaints by small enterprises and promote fair trading practices affecting the sector.
The Act provides that the Minister of Small Business Development must appoint the Ombud on the recommendation of the National Assembly following a transparent recruitment and selection process. The Ombud will serve as the head of the Office of the Small Enterprise Ombud Service.
Following a request from the Minister of Small Business Development to initiate the appointment process, the Speaker referred the matter to the Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development for consideration. The committee subsequently conducted a recruitment process that included shortlisting of candidates, verification of qualifications, interviews and deliberations before making its recommendation to the National Assembly.
As part of Parliament’s commitment to public participation, members of the public were invited to nominate suitably qualified candidates for consideration. Applications and nominations were solicited through advertisements published in local, regional and national newspapers, as well as on Parliament’s website.
The National Assembly approved the committee’s recommendation that Adv Lufuno Tokyo Nevondwe, Adv Sonwabile Mancotywa, Adv Lehlohonolo Lucky Rabotapi and Adv Mheshe Nande be submitted to the Minister of Small Business Development for consideration in the appointment of the Small Enterprise Ombud. A copy of the full committee report can be accessed here
Malentsoe Magwagwa
10 June 2026
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