The New South Institute (NSI) has launched a new report examining the state of South Africa’s public service, marking the beginning of a new series titled Government in Numbers. The launch event was held at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in Johannesburg and featured presentations by Ivor Chipkin, Executive Director of NSI, and Yoliswa Makhasi, Head of the Public Service Reform programme.

The report presents a detailed, data-driven account of the demographic changes currently reshaping South Africa’s public administration. It highlights a significant trend: the generation of officials who joined the public service post-1994 is now approaching retirement. Drawing on government human resources data (PERSAL), the study documents how this shift is impacting key sectors − including education, health and policing − while raising important questions about succession planning, professionalisation and the broader direction of public sector reform.

Rather than offering broad policy prescriptions, the report highlights the value of precise data in informing reform strategies. It sheds light on workforce ageing patterns, cost drivers within the public service, and the uneven distribution of skills across provinces and departments. The findings also touch on proposed legislative changes aimed at rebalancing the relationship between political leadership and administrative institutions.

The full report is now available for download. We invite policymakers, practitioners, researchers and members of the public to read and engage with its findings. Understanding the generational transition underway in the public service is critical to shaping a capable and accountable state in the years ahead.