Jobs advertised by Saps are linked to existing salary levels that correspond to the ranks held by officers.
Picture: Saps
The South African Police Service (Saps) is currently recruiting members to fill several lucrative communications vacancies.
Saps on Thursday posted a job advertisement for 12 social media posts that would total at least R5.9 million in combined annual remuneration.
The salary bands correspond with the rank required, ranging from level seven to level 12.
Social media position for Colonel
The positions fall under the Crime Intelligence division, and the closing date for applications is 30 July.
Six social media officer posts are available for warrant officers at salary level seven, valued at R385 000 per year.
Three upper tier social media officer posts for captains carry an annual salary of R480 000 – over R1.4 million combined.
Two posts are advertised for social media supervisor roles, which require a rank of lieutenant colonel and each come with an annual level 10 remuneration package of R600 000.
The most senior post will be for the lone social media manager, who needs to hold the rank of colonel.
This level 12 salary notch comes with an annual remuneration package of R1.06 million before deductions.
Other Saps positions with application dates closing in July include jobs for electricians, welders and plumbers with annual salaries of R248 000.
Applications for a warrant officer-level cyber crimes investigator close on Friday, carrying an annual salary of R385 000.
Over R120 billion available for Saps
Once appointed, the combined salaries of the 12 new members of the crime intelligence social media team will exceed the amount allocated for Gauteng’s community safety department last year.
Premier Panyaza Lesufi recently confirmed, via a written response to a question posed in the provincial legislature on anti-gang policing, how much the province had available to spend.
“During the 2025-26 financial year, an amount of R3.8 million was allocated to the anti-gang unit within the visible policing environment in Gauteng.
“This allocation was specifically intended to support the operational activities of the visible policing components of the anti-gang unit,” Lesufi’s response stated.
National and provincial policing resources are allocated from different budget pools, with acting police minister Firoz Cachalia confirming in his May budget speech that Saps had been allocated R127 billion for the 2026-27 financial year.
Speaking on the need to strengthen the crime intelligence division, he said credible information and analysis were key.
“Effective crime intelligence is necessary to fight organised crime; it must identify threats early, infiltrate organised criminal networks, prevent violent crime and guide operational deployments,” Cachalia stated.
Nationally, government spends roughly 32% of its total budget on employee remuneration.
