Pay is rising on paper, but South Africans are getting poorer

South Africans may be earning slightly more, but rising costs are eroding those gains, leaving households worse off in real terms.

The average net salary edged up to R21,508 in March 2026, a marginal 0.1% increase month-on-month and 2.3% higher than a year ago. However, once inflation is taken into account, net salaries declined by about 1% in real terms over the first quarter of the year, according to the PayInc Net Salary Index.

The PayInc Net Salary Index tracks the average nominal net salaries of about 2.1 million South African earners. Remaining above year-ago levels, the data points to a stabilisation in net salaries over the first quarter of 2026.

Full story at IOL

By Nicola Mawson