Wat die parkeerboete betref, is die boetebedrag verkeerd.

It means as far as the parking fine is concerned, regarding the parking fine, or with regard to the parking fine.

This whole chunk is a fixed, very common Afrikaans way to introduce a topic. So in this sentence:

Wat die parkeerboete betref, is die boetebedrag verkeerd.

the first part sets the topic, and the second part says something about it.

Not really in the normal English sense of what.

In this pattern, wat ... betref, wat is part of an idiomatic expression. You should learn the whole phrase together:

wat + noun phrase + betref

It functions like:

• as for ...
• regarding ...
• concerning ...

So it is better not to translate wat by itself here.

Betref is a verb meaning concern, relate to, or regard.

So:

• Dit betref my nie. = It does not concern me.
• Wat die saak betref ... = As far as the matter is concerned ...

In your sentence, betref is used in a formal, topic-introducing expression.

Because wat die parkeerboete betref is an introductory phrase placed before the main clause.

So the sentence is structured like this:

• introductory topic phrase: Wat die parkeerboete betref,
• main clause: is die boetebedrag verkeerd.

The comma helps separate the topic-setting phrase from the main statement.

This is because Afrikaans usually puts the finite verb in the second position in a main clause.

When something else comes first, the verb comes before the subject. This is often called inversion.

Compare:

• Die boetebedrag is verkeerd.
  = The fine amount is incorrect.

But if you move another element to the front:

• Wat die parkeerboete betref, is die boetebedrag verkeerd.

Now the introductory phrase takes first position, so is comes next, before die boetebedrag.

This is very similar to formal English word order in sentences like:

• As for the parking fine, the amount is wrong.

English does not invert here, but Afrikaans does.

They refer to different things:

• parkeerboete = parking fine
• boetebedrag = the amount of the fine / fine amount

So the sentence is not saying the fine itself is wrong in every possible sense. It is specifically saying that the amount charged is incorrect.

Afrikaans, like Dutch and German, very often forms compound nouns by writing them as a single word.

So:

• parkeer
  • boete → parkeerboete
• boete
  • bedrag → boetebedrag

English often writes these as two words or with other patterns, but Afrikaans strongly prefers one-word compounds.

This is something learners need to get used to, because compound nouns are extremely common in Afrikaans.

Because both nouns are definite:

• die parkeerboete = the parking fine
• die boetebedrag = the amount of the fine

Afrikaans uses die for the with singular and plural nouns.

Unlike English, Afrikaans does not change the article for gender, so die works for all nouns.

Because verkeerd is the predicate adjective here, and after is it comes later in the clause:

• Die boetebedrag is verkeerd.

This is normal Afrikaans word order.

Also, notice that verkeerd does not change form here. Afrikaans adjectives often stay uninflected when they are used after a linking verb like is.

Compare:

• Die bedrag is verkeerd. = predicate adjective
• die verkeerde bedrag = adjective before the noun

So:

• after the noun with is → verkeerd
• before the noun → often verkeerde

Yes. That would mean the incorrect fine amount.

For example:

• Die boetebedrag is verkeerd.
  = The fine amount is incorrect.

• Die verkeerde boetebedrag is op die kennisgewing gedruk.
  = The incorrect fine amount was printed on the notice.

This is a useful contrast:

• verkeerd after is
• verkeerde before a noun

Yes, it sounds somewhat formal or neutral-formal. It is very common in writing, official language, and careful speech.

Other possible ways to express a similar idea include:

• Met betrekking tot die parkeerboete ... = With regard to the parking fine ...
• Rakende die parkeerboete ... = Regarding the parking fine ...
• Oor die parkeerboete ... = About the parking fine ... (more everyday, depending on context)

So wat die parkeerboete betref is perfectly natural, but it has a slightly formal, tidy feel.

Yes. The simpler version would be:

Die boetebedrag is verkeerd.

That just means The fine amount is incorrect.

Adding wat die parkeerboete betref makes the sentence more specific by framing the topic:

As far as the parking fine is concerned, the fine amount is incorrect.

So the longer version is useful when you are comparing topics or clarifying exactly what you are talking about.

A rough literal breakdown is:

• Wat die parkeerboete betref = What the parking fine concerns / As for the parking fine
• is = is
• die boetebedrag = the fine amount
• verkeerd = wrong / incorrect

But this is only a rough guide. The natural way to understand it is:

As far as the parking fine is concerned, the fine amount is incorrect.

That is much better than trying to interpret each word too literally.