The nine provinces have spent R591.2-billion, or 98.8%, of their adjusted budget of R598.6-billion, according to the preliminary outcomes of the provincial revenue and expenditure report for 2018/19.

"This represents an increase of 6.3%, or R35.1-billion, compared to the R556.1-billion spent in 2017/18," the National Treasury said in a statement.

Preliminary spending on education in 2018/19 amounted to R239.6-billion, or 99%, of the R241.9-billion adjusted budget. This represented an increase of 6.3%, or R14.1-billion, compared to 2017/18. Education remained the largest item on provincial budgets (40.4%).

Health expenditure amounted to R195.6-billion, or 99.7%, of the R196.1-billion adjusted budget in 2018/19 - an increase of 8.2%, or R14.8-billion, compared to the 2017/18 financial year. Health was the second largest item on provincial budgets (32.8%), the Treasury said.

Social development expenditure in 2018/19 amounted to R19.8-billion, or 96.6%, of the R20.5-billion adjusted budget. This represented an increase of 5.6%, or R1-billion, compared to the R18.8-billion spent over the same period in the previous financial year.

Personnel spending (compensation of employees) amounted to R358.5-billion, or 99.3%, of the R361.1-billion adjusted budget as at 31 March 2019. This represented an increase of 7.3%, or R24.4-billion, compared to the 2017/18 financial year.

Preliminary spending on goods and services amounted to R120-billion, or 96.2%, of the R124.8-billion adjusted budget as at 31 March 2019, reflecting an increase of 7.8%, or R8.7-billion, compared to the 2017/18 financial year. 

In aggregate, expenditure on capital (payments for capital assets) amounted to R33-billion, or 93.3%, of the adjusted budget of R35.4-billion. This reflected a decrease of 5.4%, or R1.9-billion, compared to the same period in the previous financial year. 

Capital spending by provincial education departments amounted to R9.8-billion, or 95.8%, of the R10.2-billion adjusted budget. This was R727.3-million, or 6.9%, less than the R10.5-billion spent over the same period in the previous financial year.

Capital expenditure by provincial health departments amounted to R8.9-billion, or 91.5%, of the adjusted budget of R9.7-billion - an increase of R520.6-million, or 6.2%, compared to the R8.3-billion spent over the same period in 2017/18. 

The biggest share of provincial capital budgets was for public works, and roads and transport (32.6%). Preliminary spending for 2018/19 amounted to R11.1-billion, or 96.7%, of the R11.5-billion adjusted budget.

Preliminary provincial own revenue collected in 2018/19 amounted to R21.2-billion, or 111.7%, of the R19-billion revised own revenue budget. By the end of 2018/19, national government had transferred R470.3-billion of the equitable share and R101.7-billion of conditional grants to provinces, the Treasury said.