South Africa's higher education sector recorded R466 million in irregular spending in 2025/26

What happened

The Auditor-General's report to Parliament found irregular expenditure rose from R176 million the year before. Fruitless and wasteful spending reached R246 million. The report says this reduces funds available for training and skills development.

Why it may matter

• More places or more money than before.
• Useful if you are trying to build a startup.