# Unpaid government invoices past 30 days reach R15.5 billion

*Published 2026-07-01 - Supplier tips*

The Public Service Commission says late payment remains a concern and is hurting small businesses' cash flow.

Public Service Commission (PSC) Commissioner Anele Gxoyiya says government departments that do not pay invoices within 30 days remain a concern, and that this violates the Public Finance Management Act.

He cited National Treasury's report for the third quarter of 2025/26. At the end of that quarter, national and provincial departments had 90 856 invoices older than 30 days and unpaid, worth R15.5 billion, compared with 95 399 invoices worth R12.4 billion at the end of the second quarter. Provincial departments account for 98% of the overdue invoices and 98% of their value. A further 89 499 invoices, worth R10.8 billion, were paid after 30 days during the quarter.

The national departments that contributed most to late or non-payment were Home Affairs; Land Reform and Rural Development; Water and Sanitation (Trading Account); Public Works and Infrastructure (Trading Account); Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment; and Justice and Constitutional Development.

Gxoyiya said late payment compromises SMME cash flow, forcing some suppliers to borrow to meet their contracts and, in some cases, to retrench staff or close. He blamed a lack of consequence management, weak monitoring at lower levels, delays in invoice verification and approval, and reliance on manual processes.

### What this means for suppliers

- Build payment delays into your pricing and cash-flow plans, especially for provincial work.
- Make invoices complete and easy to verify, and follow up early, since verification and approval delays are among the causes cited.
- Unpaid invoices older than 30 days breach the PFMA, so you can escalate an overdue payment.

Source: [SAnews](https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/non-payment-invoices-within-30-days-persists-government)

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> Source: https://za.bidwunder.com/news/unpaid-government-invoices-r15-5-billion