Debt to GDP

Bailouts to state-owned enterprises, a high public sector wage bill and poor economic growth, which means less revenue for the country, have seen the government debt-to-GDP ratio balloon during the Zuma years. In 2008, there was a debt-to-GDP ratio of 27.8%; in 2017 the figure stood at just over 50%, with R2.4-trillion in debt. The public sector wage bill, which also swelled under Zuma, accounts for about 35% of the budget and is a major component of the national debt.