Minister Dion George: Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dept Budget Vote 2025/26

Honourable House Chair; 
Ministers present;
Deputy Ministers Swarts and Singh;
Honourable Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Nqabisa Gantsho, and Committee Members; 
Members of parliament;
Chairpersons, board members and CEOs of our entities;
Director-General, Ms Nomfundo Tshabalala;
Team Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment; 
Fellow South Africans

Today, I rise not only to open budget vote 32, the first budget of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in the 7th administration, but to chart a path that secures our natural heritage, uplifts communities, and powers inclusive, sustainable growth.

This budget is a direct investment in the air we breathe, the oceans that feed us, the biodiversity that sustains us, and the green jobs that will define our future.

We meet at a time when the global climate crisis continues to disrupt economies, ecosystems, and lives. South Africa is responding. Under the Government of National Unity, and through my department, we are driving forward with purpose: protecting natural resources while unlocking their economic potential.

The environment is not a cost to the state, it is a contributor to growth, a job creator, and a foundation for public health and economic resilience. Every rand we spend through this budget must deliver on that promise.

As Chair of the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group, I have proudly positioned South Africa as a global leader on climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and ocean governance.

Through this budget, and guided by the medium-term development plan, we are advancing three core national priorities:

• Driving inclusive growth and job creation,
• Reducing poverty and the cost of living, and
• Building a capable, ethical and developmental state

This Budget Vote is tabled in the context of a constrained fiscal environment. Following the reversal of the proposed VAT increase in May 2025, the national budget framework was revised, with consolidated government spending projected to grow from R2.4 trillion in 2024/25 to R2.81 trillion in 2027/28.

Despite this upward trend, the Department's 2025/26 allocation is R9.08 billion-just 0.35% of the national appropriation, our lowest share since 2016/17. 

When adjusted for inflation, this reflects a real decrease of R121.5 million, or 1.4%, compared to last year. In short: the Department is being asked to do more, with less.

Yet we are focused on delivery. Nearly half the Department's medium-term budget-R14.5 billion-will go directly to goods and services, including the Expanded Public Works Programme, implementation of the Forestry Master Plan, and rollout of the Waste Management Strategy.

Transfers and subsidies to public entities such as SANBI, SANParks, iSimangaliso, and SA Weather Service will account for over R5.5 billion.

This Department is using every rand to protect ecosystems, grow green jobs, and meet the urgent demands of climate adaptation, regulation, and environmental justice.

Honourable members,

To achieve these imperatives, the department is focusing on six flagship priorities in the 2025/26 financial year. These "big 6" priorities shape our work, guide our partnerships, and define the strategic investments proposed in this Budget Vote.

1. Climate Change

Climate change is not a distant threat - it is here, disrupting our communities, economies, and ecosystems. We see it in rising temperatures, intensifying floods, droughts, and fires that affect lives and livelihoods. Through the Climate Change Act, now in force, we have established a unified, whole-of-government response to this urgent crisis.

This year, we will deliver new Nationally Determined Contributions, a revised Low Emissions Development Strategy, final Sectoral Emission Targets, and implement the Climate Change Adaptation Response Plan for vulnerable coastal regions. We have also completed the Highveld Air Quality Management Plan to ensure Eskom complies with air pollution laws - because the constitutional right to clean air cannot be compromised.

2. KISS – Kruger, Kirstenbosch, iSimangaliso Icon Status Strategy

Our natural heritage is among South Africa's greatest assets. Through the KISS initiative, we are elevating three national icons - Kruger National Park, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and iSimangaliso Wetland Park - into engines of ecological protection, job creation, inclusive tourism, and community empowerment.

South Africa's biodiversity is a powerful engine for development. The revised National Biodiversity Economy Strategy will unlock 397,000 jobs and inject R127 billion annually into the economy by 2036 through eco-tourism, bioprospecting, and sustainable game meat production.

3. FILLER – Fair Industry for Lions, Leopards, and Rhinos

Protecting our iconic wildlife goes hand in hand with safeguarding livelihoods. The FILLER priority advances ethical and sustainable management of lions, leopards, rhinos, and elephants - species that are both culturally significant and economically vital.

This year, we are finalising the Elephant Heritage Strategy.

Our enforcement efforts against wildlife trafficking are stronger than ever, improving collaboration across agencies.

4. Fishing for Freedom

South Africa's fisheries are lifelines for coastal and rural communities. Through Fishing for Freedom, we are securing sustainable access, supporting small-scale fishers, and combating illegal harvesting that threatens biodiversity and food security.

We are fast-tracking signage, wreck removal, security and road markings at the 12 proclaimed fishing harbours, implementing co-management systems for nearshore fisheries, and expanding SMME training in the small-scale fisheries sector.

This is part of our revitalisation of harbours - unlocking jobs and dignity for coastal communities.

5. RESET – Regulatory Efficiency Strategy for Environmental Turbocharge

Good governance is the backbone of environmental protection and economic growth. RESET is modernising our regulatory frameworks to accelerate compliance, improve coordination, and enhance transparency.

We are embedding the National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking into our operations, and ramping up inspections across sectors.

6. Money

In the face of budget cuts, the DFFE is doubling down on financial discipline and innovation to ensure every rand unlocks value for people and the environment. Our proactive spending review, initiated in October 2024, has identified significant cost-saving opportunities-aiming to redirect resources towards high-impact environmental and conservation initiatives.

Each branch is now mandated to explore new revenue streams, reduce unnecessary expenditure, and secure sustainable financing.

Work has also begun on draft regulations to unlock the value of carbon credits. These will lay the groundwork for monetising environmental assets under the Department's portfolio-supporting job creation, habitat conservation, private sector investment, and financing of priority programmes. This marks a bold step toward positioning DFFE as a national leader in environmental financing.

To support this broader mandate:

• We have launched discussions with international donors, private partners, and philanthropies
• The Green Fund, managed by the DBSA, continues to channel public funding into innovative climate, energy, and waste projects
• Our investment portal for the biodiversity economy has already spotlighted 59 bankable projects, leading to at least $450,000 in green finance committed.

Honourable members, the department's entities continue to deliver exceptional impact-conserving our heritage, generating jobs, and building community resilience. 

SANParks has placed inclusive development at the centre of its conservation mandate. Over the past five years, it has provided over 21,000 full-time jobs through the Expanded Public Works Programme, supported 3,127 SMMEs, and delivered 2,264 animals to emerging game farmers-ensuring that protected areas become engines of opportunity for surrounding communities.

iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority is advancing its commercialisation strategy, with 62 contracts already signed and new revenue from tourism concessionaires set to flow directly to the entity from 1 September 2025.

The South African Weather Service, our frontline in early warning systems, issued nearly 1,400 severe weather alerts last year and reached over 2 million vulnerable citizens through a targeted community radio programme and 32 outreach events. These efforts not only save lives but empower South Africans with climate information they can act on.

SANBI, South Africa's national biodiversity steward, continues to lead in climate finance. A $40 million Green Climate Fund project will launch this year, benefiting over 350,000 people directly and 1.5 million indirectly through investments in ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction. 

These achievements demonstrate that when we invest in our environmental entities, we invest in jobs, resilience, and a sustainable future.

In closing

Honourable members,

This budget is not just about how much we spend-it is about how wisely we invest. We are using public funds to deliver clean air, protect ecosystems that support life, and to create jobs in every corner of this country. But we cannot do it alone.

I call on Members across all benches to support this budget - for the sake of the people we serve. Let this be a moment where Parliament unites to invest in resilience, inclusion, and environmental justice.

To my Deputy Ministers, Narend Singh and Bernice Swarts, thank you for your partnership.

To the dedicated public servants, scientists, rangers, monitors, engineers, and compliance officers across the Department and our entities: thank you for your excellence, your commitment to service, and your willingness to do things differently and get things done.

Together, we will grow a greener, more inclusive future for all South Africans.

I thank you.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Thobile Zulu-Molobi
Mobile: +27 82 513 7154 
E-mail: tmolobi@dffe.gov.za  

Chelsey Wilken
Mobile: +27 74 470 5996 
E-mail: cwilken@dffe.gov.za

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