Public schools are funded by the government and through school fees and/or school fundraising. Laws and regulations governing school fees are as follows:

• The South African Schools Act (Act 84 of 1996) as amended by the Education Laws Amendment Act, 2005 (SASA)
• The Regulations Relating to the Exemption of Parents from the Payment of School Fees, 2006
• The Amended National Norms and Standards for School Funding, 2006
• The Admission Policy for Ordinary Public Schools, 1998

The government pays most of the teachers’ salaries and bigger building costs, and makes some contribution, per learner, to pay for the equipment and running costs. Over and above the government’s contribution, parents of learners pay school fees that contribute to finance some schools’ operating expenses.According to South African Schools Act (SASA), the SGB of a school must take all reasonable measures within its means to supplement the resources that are supplied by the government in order to improve the quality of education that is provided to all the learners at the school.