Nhlanhla Nene

Finance Minister Nhalnhla Nene said government's reduction in spending since 2013 is starting to bear fruit with less money going to consultants and caterers. It has freed up funds that is now being allocated to more important areas such as basic education and health. Here are the numbers that show government is spending in the right places.

Finance Minister Nene says cost containment measures implemented in 2013 have led to a drop in state consumption, and the Treasury has proposed a rise in spending in the long term to sustain debt levels in rough economic times, including a R200-million investment in energy.

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene introduced the National Treasury's Medium Term Budget Policy Statement to a joint sitting of Parliament on Wednesday 21 October. Read and download the speech here.

Doing business with the government is now quicker and the process smoother, thanks to the Central Supplier Database. Launched by the minister of finance, companies wanting to work with the state are urged to register on it. There are several benefits to being listed on the database.

Finance minister Nhlanhla Nene’s budget speech has received mixed reactions. While income tax is being raised for the first time in 20 years, small to medium sized businesses set to benefit by the doubling of the turnover tax threshold. This summary of the budget shows how Nene’s changes will affect your pocket.

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene's inaugural budget, delivered in Parliament on Wednesday, was tight and conservative with the minister managing to balance the need for increased revenue without stifling spending, Citadel analysts concluded.

The tax rate will increase by 1 percentage point for all South Africans - except the lowest earners, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said in his first Budget speech on Wednesday, which aims to stabilise government debt and rebalance fiscal policy.

On Wednesday 25 February Minister of Finance Nhlanhla Nene delivered his first national Budget, one of the most critical and challenging of South Africa's democratic history. Watch the full address here.

On Wednesday 25 February Minister of Finance Nhlanhla Nene delivered his first national Budget, one of the most critical and challenging of South Africa's democratic history. Watch the full address here.

The budget will be a balancing act. Reining in spending and raising taxes will usher in a few years of pain – not very heavy pain, but unavoidable pain – and the finance minister will need to find a way to spread it among as many groups as possible without causing anger or resentment.