| Name | Cluster |
| Civilian Secretariat for Police Service (CSPS) | Justice & Protection Services |
| Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) | Economic Services & Infrastructure Development |
| Department of Basic Education (DBE) | Social Services |
| Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) | Economic Services & Infrastructure Development |
| Department of Cooperative Governance (DCoG) | Central Government Administration |
| Department of Correctional Services (DCS) | Justice & Protection Services |
| Department of Defence (DoD) | Justice & Protection Services |
| Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) | Social Services |
| Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) | Economic Services & Infrastructure Development |
| Department of Health (DoH) | Social Services |
| Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) | Social Services |
| Department of Home Affairs (DHA) | Justice & Protection Services |
| Department of Human Settlements (DHS) | Economic Services & Infrastructure Development |
| Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) | Central Government Administration |
| Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (DoJ&CD) | Justice & Protection Services |
| Department of Military Veterans (DMV) | Justice & Protection Services |
| Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) | Economic Services & Infrastructure Development |
| Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) | Central Government Administration |
| Department of Police (SAPS) | Justice & Protection Services |
| Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) | Financial & Administration Services |
| Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) | Financial & Administration Services |
| Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) | Central Government Administration |
| Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) | Social Services |
| Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) | Economic Services & Infrastructure Development |
| Department of Social Development (DSD) | Social Services |
| Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) | Social Services |
| Department of Tourism (DT) | Economic Services & Infrastructure Development |
| Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) | Economic Services & Infrastructure Development |
| Department of Traditional Affairs (DTA) | Central Government Administration |
| Department of Transport (DOT) | Economic Services & Infrastructure Development |
| Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) | Economic Services & Infrastructure Development |
| Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) | Central Government Administration |
| Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) | Central Government Administration |
| Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) | Justice & Protection Services |
| National School of Government (NSG) | Financial & Administration Services |
| National Treasury | Financial & Administration Services |
| Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) | Justice & Protection Services |
| Public Service Commission (PSC) | Central Government Administration |
| State Security Agency (SSA) | Justice & Protection Services |
| Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) | Central Government Administration |
As under the Westminster system, the executive arm of South Africa’s national government is split between the cabinet and the civil service. Government departments, which are often led by permanent civil officials with the rank of director-general, are responsible for managing public administration, the day-to-day implementation of law and policy.
Each department also has a political head, a cabinet minister, who is chosen by the president and is in charge of that department’s overall direction and politics. Frequently, more than one department is included in a minister’s portfolio. The ministry and the department are not identical, even though there is a one-to-one relationship between them; they have separate legal and administrative structures.
New departments
New departments may be established by presidents. The Department of Women, Children, and Persons with Disabilities was established in 2009 and then changed to the Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities. The Department of Military Veterans was established later that year (after the Department of Defence had briefly been called the Department of Defence and Military Veterans). The Department of Small Business Development was also established in 2014.
