By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
Nearly half of working professionals in South Africa believe they are underpaid, with 48 percent saying their salaries do not accurately reflect the work they perform, according to new data released by recruitment platform Job Crystal.
The findings come despite recent data from Statistics South Africa showing that average salaries reached record highs in the third quarter of 2025. However, the recruiter said many workers are still struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living and continue to live from one paycheque to the next.
According to Job Crystal’s Chief Executive Officer, Sasha Knott, there remains a significant gap between employer salary offerings and employee expectations.
The platform’s analysis also found notable regional salary differences, with professionals working in Johannesburg typically earning more than 10 percent higher salaries than those in Cape Town. The difference is largely attributed to the concentration of corporate headquarters and long-established business structures in Johannesburg.
Industries requiring specialised skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, commonly known as STEM fields, tend to offer higher pay due to strong competition for talent. In contrast, sectors such as call centres and commission-based sales roles often rely more heavily on performance incentives rather than higher base salaries.
Knott noted that salary benchmarking is not only an important human resources practice but also a critical business strategy. She warned that failing to offer competitive pay at the recruitment stage could lead to costly employee turnover.
One of the major advantages of salary benchmarking, she said, is its potential to help address South Africa’s persistent gender pay gap. According to a 2025 report by Discovery Limited, women in the country still earn about 24 percent less than men on average.
The pay gap becomes even wider in mid- to senior-level positions, even though salaries at entry-level roles appear more balanced between men and women.
Knott explained that the gender disparity is often linked to structural factors rather than direct discrimination. She said senior leadership positions, entrepreneurial opportunities and founder roles remain dominated by men, while promotion systems and salary structures sometimes reflect long-standing networks that favour male professionals.
Workplace flexibility also contributes to the gap. Many women opt for remote or hybrid roles to better manage family responsibilities, sometimes accepting slightly lower salaries in exchange for flexible work arrangements.
To help narrow the gender pay divide, Knott recommended that companies conduct regular gender pay audits, share the results internally and tie leadership bonuses to measurable progress in representation and pay equity.
As of the fourth quarter of 2025, South Africa’s official unemployment rate stood at 31.4%, according to labour force figures from Statistics South Africa, down from 31.9% in the third quarter but still among the highest in the world.
The data also showed that the number of employed persons increased by about 44 000 to 17.1 million, while the number of unemployed people decreased by 172 000.
