Portfolio committees perform oversight over their respective departments (portfolios). For example, the Portfolio Committee on Education performs oversight over the functioning of the Department of Education; the Portfolio Committee on Sport and Recreation performs oversight over the functioning of the Department of Sport and Recreation, and so on.

These committees deal with departmental policy, Bills emanating from those departments and public hearings pertaining to Bills which had been initiated by these departments. Furthermore, committees have to scrutinise departmental budgets, expenditure and service-delivery performance in order to ensure that the lives of the citizens of the province are improved.