The net change in the stock of cash of the national government from the national revenue fund and donor funds amounted to a deficit of R9 012 million for the 2023/2024 fiscal year.

The statistical release provides information on the sources and uses of cash of national government for the fiscal years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024, classified economically and functionally. The net change in the stock of cash of the national government from the national revenue fund and donor funds amounted to a deficit of R9 012 million for the 2023/2024 fiscal year.

Major influences

The major contributors to a cash deficit of R9 012 million of net change in the stock of cash from the national government sector for the 2023/2024 fiscal year were the revenue cash flows from operating activities amounted to R1 707 711 million and the expense cash flows amounted to R2 030 348 million, resulting in a net cash outflow from operating activities of R322 637 million for the 2023/2024 fiscal year ended 31 March 2024. The net cash outflow from transactions in non-financial assets amounted to R16 653 million for the 2023/2024 fiscal year. The net acquisition of financial assets other than cash amounted to a cash outflow of R281 million for the 2023/2024 fiscal year. The net incurrence of liabilities amounted to R330 558 million, resulting in a net cash inflow of R330 277 million from financing activities for the 2023/2024 fiscal year. The total net change in the stock of cash of the national government amounted to a deficit of R9 012 million (see Table A, p. 5).

The largest contributor to the total cash payments for operating activities and purchases of non-financial assets of R2 047 194 million from the national revenue fund and donor funds for the 2023/2024 fiscal year was transfers of a general character between different levels of government (R693 350 million or 33,9%) (mainly to provincial governments to defray their expenditure on general government services), interest paid on public debt (R356 110 million or 17,4%), followed by social protection (R268 915 million or 13,1%), public order and safety (R161 496 million or 7,9%) and economic affairs (R152 929 million or 7,5%).