Africa-Press – Eswatini. Government will need to raise a staggering E1.6 billion in the coming weeks for the implementation of the much-anticipated civil service salary review report, whose final draft was tabled before the Joint Negotiation Forum (JNF) on Monday, September 29, 2025.
The report, compiled by Emergence Human Capital in collaboration with Umelusi Management Consultancy, has been the subject of months of deliberations.
Recently, Cabinet resolved to adopt Category 3 of the proposed salary scenarios – regarded as a balanced compromise between affordability and meaningful pay adjustments.
What Category 3 Means
Category 3 proposes salary adjustments across different grades, structured to favour lower and mid-level officers with more significant increases while offering moderate increments to senior management and executives.
• Entry-level (Grades A1–A3): E41 000 – E62 000 (16% progression)
• Junior officers (B1–B5): E64 000 – E132 000 (16% progression)
• Mid-level officers (C1–C4): E136 000 – E239 000 (16% progression)
• Senior managers (D1–D5): E282 000 – E418 000 (10–12% progression)
• Executives (E1–E2): E460 000 – E600 000+ (10% progression)
This structure is designed to ease pressure on government finances while still delivering long-awaited relief for civil servants.
The Price Tag
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Mthunzi Shabangu, confirmed that while Cabinet had already approved Category 3, the financial exposure remains significant.
• Without allowances, the review will cost government about E1.2 billion.
• With allowances included, the figure rises to E1.6 billion – rounded upwards.
“This is the cost exposure that government will have to grapple with before implementation,” Shabangu said, noting that Cabinet will soon be fully briefed before a formal mandate is taken back to the JNF.
Negotiations Underway
On Monday, government representatives and public sector unions (PSUs), including SNAT, NAPSAWU, SNA, and SNAGAP, met with the consultants to receive the final draft of the review. According to the JNF, both sides agreed that negotiations will continue on Thursday and Friday this week.
Civil servants have expressed impatience over delays, with some indicating willingness to accept Category 3 if it means their long-awaited pay rise is finally realized.
The Road Ahead
The salary review, commissioned in July 2024 by Public Service Minister Mabulala Maseko, is the first major review in years for Eswatini’s 44 000-strong civil service. If implemented, it will not only boost morale but also strengthen household incomes across the country.
For now, all eyes remain on the negotiating table, and on government’s ability to mobilize the E1.6 billion required to make the long-awaited salary adjustments a reality.
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