A series of ministerial trips, revealed through parliamentary responses in 2025, sparked widespread public outrage over the extravagant spending of taxpayer money, exposing a pattern of costly travel by South Africa’s ministers amid the country’s economic crisis.
ActionSA revealed in June 2025 that ministers had incurred more than R200 million in travel expenses in their first year, a figure that has continued to rise.
The party described the spending as “executive indulgence at a time of deep economic crisis, when 5 000 South Africans lose their jobs every single working day”.
The trips detailed here represent only a fraction of ministerial travel undertaken in 2025. Many other trips are not captured in this article or parliamentary responses that have emerged this year.
Mashatile’s R900 000 Japan accommodation
Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s March 2025 working visit to Japan drew criticism after his four-night accommodation alone cost more than R900 000, approximately R225 000 per night.
The total expenditure for the Japan trip was R2.3 million, including R613 214 for flights, R1.2 million for accommodation, R410 926 for ground transport, R8 033 for laundry services, and R51 393 for restaurant services.
Mashatile defended the trip’s strategic significance, saying it aimed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries during celebrations marking 115 years of diplomatic relations.
He was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including several ministers and his spouse, who participated in the spousal programme at a cost of R191 110 for flights and ground transport.
The Japan visit was not Mashatile’s costliest international travel disclosed this year.
His September and October 2024 working visits to Ireland and the United Kingdom cost R5.4 million, with London accommodation alone exceeding R3.2 million.
In June, his total travel expenditure since assuming office in July 2024 reached approximately R7.9 million across four international trips.
ALSO READ: Mashatile reveals he spent R2.3m on travel, food, and laundry for Japan trip
Defence ministry’s R20 million travel bill
The defence and military veterans ministry spent more than R20 million on travel expenses between July 2024 and July 2025, according to a parliamentary reply from Minister Angie Motshekga this year.
The breakdown included R4.9 million on car hire, R5.6 million on domestic travel, R5.2 million on international travel, and R3 million on accommodation across 22 international trips to Russia, Angola, China, Saudi Arabia, France and other countries.
ActionSA MP Lerato Ngobeni questioned how the minister and her deputies could justify the spending while the South African National Defence Force faced budget cuts and insufficient resources.
“This is the portrait of a government that gorges itself on luxury while soldiers who put their lives on the line are denied the most basic support,” she said.
The massive expenditure occurred at a time when soldiers deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo were reportedly under-equipped and underpaid. This intensified public anger over the ministry’s spending priorities.
Sports ministry’s R6.6 million travel costs
Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie’s department spent R6.6 million on international travel between July 2024 and March 2025, according to his parliamentary reply dated May 2025.
The minister’s personal travel totalled R2.5 million across 11 international trips, while Deputy Minister Peace Mabe’s trips cost R1.2 million.
Support staff accompanying them on various trips accounted for an additional R2.9 million.
McKenzie defended the travel as essential work rather than a luxury, stating that official trips were “work and not holidays, or joyrides, as often seems to be made out in the media”.
He explained that he had already travelled extensively as a successful businessman before becoming minister.
“I’ve effectively seen the world three times over, often in first class, and travel is neither a novelty nor exceptionally exciting for me.”
The minister’s most expensive single trip was to the Paris Olympics in July 2024, costing R783 252, which included R215 976 for air travel, R454 005 for ground transport, and R113 271 for accommodation.
‘I have never used Uber before’
Following public outcry over the costs, McKenzie said he issued a directive to avoid luxury chauffeur-driven transport, opting instead for Ubers and public transport.
“You should note that I have never used Uber previously, or public transport in South Africa, but I am doing it now while travelling overseas, being conscious of saving public money wherever possible,” he told parliament.
The spending included R164 556 on a trip to Burkina Faso that never took place.
McKenzie explained that bookings were made and paid for to attend the FESPACO film festival, but travel plans had to be abandoned.
“Unfortunately, certain costs were not recoverable due to the short notice we were faced with at the time,” he said.
Mabe’s trip to the Havana Book Fair cost R236 464, while incomplete data was provided for her trips to the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles and the Creative Africa Nexus event in Algeria.
Social development’s R3 million New York conference
The Department of Social Development defended its R3 million expenditure on a trip to New York for the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women conference in a comprehensive report presented to the Standing Committee on Appropriations this year.
Seven officials attended, with newly appointed Deputy Director-General Sizakele Magangoe accounting for more than R1 million of the total.
The delegation stayed at the five-star St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan, where room rates ranged from R33 116 to R105 741 per night.
The department emphasised that while R3 million appeared significant domestically, in US dollar terms it was approximately $150,000.
It argued the investment was justified by historical returns, including nearly €30 million (R594 million) channelled into South Africa’s gender-based violence programmes through the UN Women Spotlight Initiative.
Critics labelled the costs excessive and a joyride at taxpayers’ expense, particularly given the current economic climate.
The department acknowledged that the expenditure raised public concern, but maintained that consolidated delegation allowed South Africa to have technical experts, civil society representatives, and policymakers in the same space.
ALSO READ: How to justify a R3m New York ‘joyride’: Social development department tries to explain costly trip
Water utility’s R125,000 marathon trip
Umngeni-uThukela Water in KwaZulu-Natal reportedly spent R125 000 for supply chain management official Zandile Mhlongo to fly first class to participate in the New York City Marathon in late 2024.
An additional R77 800 for her participation and four nights in a luxury Manhattan hotel suite were paid by the water board on her behalf.
The spending was revealed through whistle-blower documents leaked to the Sunday Times this year.
The utility spent nearly R400 000 on such excursions under its sponsorship policy, defending the decision as consistent with its mandate to contribute to social development.
Cooperative governance ministry spends R4.4 million
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Velenkosini Hlabisa disclosed in a November 2025 parliamentary reply that his ministry spent R4.4 million on travel alone since July 2025.
The minister’s travel costs reached R1.6 million, while Deputy Minister Masemola spent R1.1 million and Deputy Minister Burns-Ncamashe spent R1.7 million on official engagements.
The ministry defended the expenditure, stating that the responsibilities entrusted to the minister and deputy ministers encompassed a wide-ranging constitutional mandate, including oversight of provincial, district, and local government, the institution of traditional and Khoi-San leadership, and coordination of disaster management across the Republic.
Hlabisa said these responsibilities required an active, sustained presence across all spheres of government.
Official travel undertaken by the executive was aligned with statutory obligations and South Africa’s commitments to multilateral frameworks, particularly in disaster risk reduction and intergovernmental cooperation.
The ministry maintained that the costs incurred were subject to stringent internal controls and National Treasury prescripts, and that aggregated support staff costs reflected multiple provincial oversight visits and statutory obligations.
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