South Africa faces an estimated R830 million bill to renovate its embassy buildings and other foreign properties, according to a parliamentary reply highlighted by the Democratic Alliance (DA). The estimate was disclosed in a response from International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola.

Renovations to properties belonging to the South African High Commission in the United Kingdom are put at R170 million, while those linked to the embassy in the Netherlands are estimated at R110 million.

DA international relations spokesperson Ryan Smith blamed decades of maintenance neglect and misplaced spending priorities under the African National Congress (ANC). He contrasted the renovation bill with what he said was an estimated R1.4 billion spent on aid and agreements with Cuba between 2012 and 2022.

“Taxpayer money that funds [the Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s] budget is not meant to keep the ANC’s friends afloat,” Smith said. The party called for the department’s budget to prioritise embassy maintenance and a professional foreign service focused on economic growth and job creation.