Public administration refers to people who work for the government, also called the public service. This includes anyone who gets a salary from the government such as the police, army and people working in government departments like the education department.

The public service must put the policies of the government into practice.

The Public Service Commission is an independent body whose job it is to monitor, evaluate and oversee the administration of the public service. It is made up of one representative from each province and it must account to parliament. For example, it investigates grievances of employees in the public service, it ensures that public officials follow correct procedures, and so on.