National Departments

The mission of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) is to deliver effective strategic government communication; set and influence adherence to standards and coherence of message and proactively communicate with the public about government policies, plans, programmes and achievements.

The mandate of the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities is to lead on socio-economic transformation and implementation of the empowerment and participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities through mainstreaming, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation. The vision of the Department is of a transformed, inclusive society free from all forms of discrimination and capable of self-actualisation. Its mission is to provide strategic leadership, advocacy and coordination to government departments and the country on mainstreaming socio-economic empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities. The Department's values are tolerance and respect in the workplace, professionalism, continuous learning, integrity, caring, accountability, inclusivity and empowerment.

The mandate of the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities is to lead on socio-economic transformation and implementation of the empowerment and participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities through mainstreaming, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation. The vision of the Department is of a transformed, inclusive society free from all forms of discrimination and capable of self-actualisation. Its mission is to provide strategic leadership, advocacy and coordination to government departments and the country on mainstreaming socio-economic empowerment of women, youth and persons with disabilities. The Department's values are tolerance and respect in the workplace, professionalism, continuous learning, integrity, caring, accountability, inclusivity and empowerment.

The mission of the Department of Water and Sanitation is to serve the people of South Africa by: making a positive impact on the country and its people as custodians of its water and sanitation resources, and as innovative and committed partners in the drive for sustainable development; being service- and delivery-orientated; leading its sector and enabling partners with the knowledge and capacity to ensure that all water services are delivered; being committed to innovation and using cutting-edge technology as a catalyst for positive change, connecting its people and enabling them to work anywhere, anytime; and having a heart that values its investment in its people. The Department provides them with a caring and trusting environment that encourages personal development and is a breeding ground for talent. The Department's strategic goals are: to be an efficient, effective and development-orientated sector leader; equitable and sustainable provision of raw water; provision of equitable and sustainable water services of acceptable quantity and quality; and protection of freshwater ecosystems.

The mission of the Department of Transport (DOT) is to lead the development of integrated efficient transport systems by creating a framework of sustainable policies, regulations and implementable models to support government strategies for economic, social and international development. The objectives that the Department aims to achieve by providing policy framework, regulation and implementation models are: competitive transport costs; safety and security improvements; a reduction in infrastructure backlogs; improvement in access; and a reduction of time in transit.

The mission of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) is to promote structural transformation, towards a dynamic industrial and globally competitive economy; provide a predictable, competitive, equitable and socially responsible environment conducive to investment, trade and enterprise development; broaden participation in the economy to strengthen economic development; and continually improve the skills and capabilities of the dtic to effectively deliver on its mandate and respond to the needs of South Africa's economic citizens. The department's strategic objectives are to facilitate transformation of the economy to promote industrial development, investment, competitiveness and employment creation; build mutually beneficial regional and global relations to advance South Africa's trade, industrial policy and economic development objectives; facilitate broad-based economic participation through targeted interventions to achieve more inclusive growth; create a fair regulatory environment that enables investment, trade and enterprise development in an equitable and socially responsible manner; and promote a professional, ethical, dynamic, competitive and customer-focused working environment that ensures effective and efficient service delivery.

The Department of Tourism is mandated under the Tourism Act 3 of 2014 to: promote the practise of responsible tourism for the benefit of the country and for the enjoyment of all its residents and foreign visitors; provide for the effective domestic and international marketing of South Africa as a tourist destination; promote quality tourism products and services; promote growth in and development of the tourism sector; and enhance cooperation and coordination between all spheres of government in developing and managing tourism. The National Development Plan (NDP) is the 2030 vision for the country. It recognises tourism as one of the main drivers of employment and economic growth. Tourism is also positioned as one of the six core pillars of growth in the country's New Growth Path (NGP) framework. The National Tourism Sector Strategy (NTSS) provides a blueprint for the tourism sector in the pursuit of growth targets contained in the NGP. Through the Department's NTSS, the tourism sector is committed to creating a total of 225 000 jobs by the year 2020. The Department's objectives include ensuring that benefits of tourism are equitably shared amongst the people of South Africa, and planning for the empowerment of youth, women, and people with disabilities through entrepreneurial participation and opportunities. The Department's focus is on increasing competitiveness within the tourism sector in South Africa. In the medium term, the Department aims to increase investment in the tourism sector, increase inbound tourism, entrench a culture of tourism amongst South Africans, and increase the sector's contribution to job creation and economic growth.

The mission of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), is to provide an enabling environment for the sport, arts and culture (SAC) sector to foster an active, creative, winning and socially cohesive nation.

The mission of the Department of Social Development is to enable the poor, the vulnerable and the excluded within South African society to secure a better life for themselves, in partnership with them and with all those who are committed to building a caring society. The Department has the following primary core functions: management and oversight over social security, encompassing social assistance and social insurance policies, which aim to prevent and alleviate poverty in the event of life cycle risks such as loss of income due to unemployment, disability, old age or death occurring; and developmental social welfare services, which provide support to reduce poverty, vulnerability and the impact of HIV/AIDS through sustainable development programmes, in partnership with implementing agents such as State-Funded Institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs).

The vision of the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) is to be a leader in the transformation of South Africa through economic growth and sustainable development in the mining sector. Its mission is to regulate, transform and promote the minerals sector, ensuring that all South Africans derive sustainable benefit from the country's mineral wealth.

The mission of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation is to facilitate, influence and support effective planning, monitoring and evaluation of government programmes aimed at improving service delivery, outcomes and the impact on society. The focus of the Department is on the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 using the Medium-Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) as an implementation and monitoring tool. The MTSF identifies the important actions required to implement the aspects of the NDP for which government is responsible over the medium to long term. Critical government programmes are periodically evaluated to determine the efficiency and effectiveness, as well as their impact, on society.

The mission of the South African Police Service (SAPS), now known as the Department of Police, is to prevent and combat anything that may threaten the safety and security of any community, investigate any crimes that threaten the safety and security of any community, ensure offenders are brought to justice, and participate in efforts to address the causes of crime. The Department's strategic outcome-orientated goals are to: provide police services that will ensure safer communities by reducing the number of serious crimes, contact crimes and trio crimes; increase activities to prevent and combat border crime; increase the percentage of trial-ready case dockets for serious crime, contact crime and trio crime; increase the detection rate for serious crime, contact crime and trio crime, including organised crime and crimes against women and children; increase the conviction rates for serious crime, contact crime and trio crime; enhance African Agenda and sustainable development by deploying members as per Cabinet decision (external deployments); and improve the levels of service delivery and accessibility to services by bringing SAPS service points closer to the communities.

The mission of the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) is to establish norms and standards to ensure that the state machinery functions optimally, and that such norms and standards are adhered to; implement interventions to maintain a compliant and functioning public service; promote an ethical public service through programmes, systems, frameworks and structures that detect, prevent and combat corruption; and contribute towards improved public administration in Africa and internationally through dialogue and sharing of best practices. The Department is required to facilitate and support efforts that seek to, among others, improve service delivery quality and access; human resource management and development; business processes; systems and accountability management; anti-corruption and integrity; and effective public participation.

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is committed to the attainment of a transformed built environment sector by: providing strategic leadership to the South African construction and property industries; establishing and ensuring compliance to policy and legislative prescripts for the management of state-owned and leased-in immovable assets, and South African construction and property sectors; providing strategic direction on the integration of public works priorities; and contributing to the national goals of job creation and poverty alleviation through Public Works Programmes. The Property Management Trading Entity, within the Department of Public Works ensures the effective management of the state's immovable assets to contribute towards economic and social development and transformation of the built environment.

The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSI) seeks to boost socio-economic development in South Africa through research and innovation. To achieve its goals, the Department provides leadership, an enabling environment and resources for science, technology and innovation. Through its programmes (administration, technology innovation, international cooperation and resources, research development and support, and socio-economic innovation partnerships) and several entities that work alongside it, the Department is accomplishing groundbreaking science and enhancing the well-being of all South Africans. The Department was renamed from the Department of Science and Innovation to the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation on 27 September 2024.