Average hourly earnings of employees in South Africa

South Africa: Average hourly earnings of employees was 50.08 in 2015. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2015)
50.08
Change on year
up 12.8%
World rank
32nd
of 55 countries
All-time high
50.08
in 2015
All-time low
13.01
in 2002
Years of data
14
2000–2015

Average hourly earnings of employees in South Africa, 2000–2015

10203040502000200720152000: 13.22001: 13.22002: 132003: 13.82004: 14.42005: 15.92006: 18.22007: 20.62010: 32.22011: 34.32012: 38.82013: 47.62014: 44.42015: 50.1

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 50.08 for average hourly earnings of employees in 2015. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.

The figure is up 12.8% on the previous year and up 215.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average hourly earnings of employees in South Africa peaked at 50.08 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 13.01, in 2002.

That places South Africa 32nd out of 55 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Average hourly earnings of employees in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Average hourly earnings of employees (15+) in South Africa, 2000 to 2015.
Year Value Change
2000 13.17
2001 13.21 +0.3%
2002 13.01 -1.6%
2003 13.82 +6.3%
2004 14.36 +3.9%
2005 15.87 +10.5%
2006 18.19 +14.7%
2007 20.56 +13.0%
2010 32.16 +56.4%
2011 34.35 +6.8%
2012 38.8 +13.0%
2013 47.57 +22.6%
2014 44.38 -6.7%
2015 50.08 +12.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 15.27 13.01 20.56 8
2010s 41.22 32.16 50.08 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 29 Mexico 65.35 compare
  2. 30 Honduras 64.31 compare
  3. 31 Republic of Moldova 52.19 compare
  4. 33 Switzerland 48.11 compare
  5. 34 United States 43.49 compare
  6. 35 Canada 40.1 compare

See the full ranking of 55 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is average hourly earnings of employees in South Africa?
Average hourly earnings of employees in South Africa was 50.08 in 2015, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest average hourly earnings of employees recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 50.08 in 2015.
What is the lowest average hourly earnings of employees recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 13.01 in 2002.
How does South Africa rank for average hourly earnings of employees?
South Africa ranks 32nd out of 55 countries with data for 2015.
Is average hourly earnings of employees rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 215.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Average hourly earnings of employees (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Average hourly earnings of employees in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/average-hourly-earnings-of-employees-15/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/average-hourly-earnings-of-employees-15/south-africa/">Average hourly earnings of employees in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Average hourly earnings of employees (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
55 places, 823 data points, 1990–2026
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. The earnings of employees relate to the gross remuneration in cash and in kind paid to employees, as a rule at regular intervals, for time worked or work done together with remuneration for time not worked, such as annual vacation, other type of paid leave or holidays. Earnings exclude employers' contributions in respect of their employees paid to social security and pension schemes and also the benefits received by employees under these schemes. Earnings also exclude severance and termination pay. For more information, refer to the Wages and Working Time Statistics (COND) database description.