The economist made a list of the top 20 non-financial sector with the highest average salaries in 2016
Compared to many other countries, South Africa doesn’t have a national minimum wage. Research from the School of Economic and Business Sciences (SEBS) at the University of Witwatersrand has shown that there are as many as 2.36 million workers in South Africa who are excluded from minimum wage coverage.
The implementation of a minimum wage could protect vulnerable workers, but simply increasing wages will not create extra jobs, on the contrary. It will also not counter the root effects of poverty, namely critically low employment options, low productivity and poor education. Some sectors however, do have their own minimum wage and some of those have a very high minimum wage that is many times higher than any proposed minimum wage.
The economist made a list of the top 20 non-financial sector with the highest average salaries in 2016:% above
formal sector average: 125%
3. Electricity and utilities
Average
monthly salary: R39 984
% above
formal sector average: 114%
4. Computer and related services
Average
monthly salary: R37 216
% above
formal sector average: 99%
5. Architectural, engineering and other
technical activities
Average
monthly salary: R34 772
% above
formal sector average: 86%
6. Research and development
Average
monthly salary: R31 265
% above
formal sector average: 67%
7. Legal, accounting, bookkeeping and
auditing activities
Average
monthly salary: R30 735
% above
formal sector average: 65%
8. Post and telecommunications
Average
monthly salary: R28 487
% above
formal sector average: 53%
9. Motor vehicle manufacture
Average
monthly salary: R28 487
% above
formal sector average: 50%
10. Medical instrument manufacture
Average
monthly salary: R27 577
% above
formal sector average: 48%
11. Basic precious and non-ferrous metals
manufacture
Average
monthly salary: R26 275
% above
formal sector average: 41%
12. Other educational institutions
Average
monthly salary: R24 634
% above
formal sector average: 32%
13. Extra budgetary institutions e.g.
SETAs, UIF, etc.
Average
monthly salary: R24 466
% above
formal sector average: 31%
14. Collection, purification and
distribution of water
Average
monthly salary: R24253
% above
formal sector average: 30%
15. Basic chemical manufacturing
Average
monthly salary: R24 203
% above
formal sector average: 30%
16. National government departments
Average
monthly salary: R24 159
% above
formal sector average: 29%
17. Advertising industry
Average
monthly salary: R24 123
% above
formal sector average: 29%
18. Freight forwarding; broking and travel
agencies
Average
monthly salary: R24 056
% above
formal sector average: 29%
19. Special purpose machinery manufacture
Average
monthly salary: R23 447
% above
formal sector average: 26%
20. Real estate agents and brokers
Average
monthly salary: R23 301
% above
formal sector average: 25%
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