Average hourly labour cost per employee - Discontinued in South Africa

South Africa: Average hourly labour cost per employee - Discontinued was 91,601 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
91,601
Change on year
up 5.2%
World rank
2nd
of 50 countries
All-time high
91,601
in 2024
All-time low
61,370
in 2016
Years of data
9
2016–2024

Average hourly labour cost per employee - Discontinued in South Africa, 2016–2024

020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k100.0k2016202020242016: 61.4k2017: 65.3k2018: 69.4k2019: 74.0k2020: 74.5k2021: 80.1k2022: 83.3k2023: 87.1k2024: 91.6k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for average hourly labour cost per employee - discontinued in South Africa is 91,601, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.

The figure is up 5.2% on the previous year and up 49.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average hourly labour cost per employee - discontinued in South Africa peaked at 91,601 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 61,370, in 2016.

That places South Africa 2nd out of 50 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

Average hourly labour cost per employee - Discontinued in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Average hourly labour cost per employee - Discontinued in South Africa, 2016 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2016 61,370
2017 65,278 +6.4%
2018 69,373 +6.3%
2019 74,025 +6.7%
2020 74,529 +0.7%
2021 80,094 +7.5%
2022 83,316 +4.0%
2023 87,074 +4.5%
2024 91,601 +5.2%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 91,601 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 834.5, 109.8× the median. (12 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 67,512 61,370 74,025 4
2020s 83,323 74,529 91,601 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Colombia 390,264 compare
  2. 3 Moldova 17,383 compare
  3. 4 Iceland 8,573 compare
  4. 5 Chile 6,745 compare

See the full ranking of 50 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is average hourly labour cost per employee - discontinued in South Africa?
Average hourly labour cost per employee - discontinued in South Africa was 91,601 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest average hourly labour cost per employee - discontinued recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 91,601 in 2024.
What is the lowest average hourly labour cost per employee - discontinued recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 61,370 in 2016.
How does South Africa rank for average hourly labour cost per employee - discontinued?
South Africa ranks 2nd out of 50 countries with data for 2024.
Is average hourly labour cost per employee - discontinued rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 49.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Average hourly labour cost per employee - Discontinued. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Average hourly labour cost per employee - Discontinued in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/average-hourly-labour-cost-per-employee-discontinued/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Average hourly labour cost per employee - Discontinued
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
50 places, 707 data points, 1995–2025
Last refreshed

Data on labour cost is presented, whenever possible, in nominal terms and on the basis of the mean hourly labour cost per employee. Labour cost is the cost incurred by the employer in the employment of labour in a specified reference period. It comprises remuneration for work performed, payments in respect of time paid for but not worked, bonuses and gratuities, the cost of food, drink and other payments in kind, cost of workers' housing borne by employers, employers' social security expenditures, cost to the employer for vocational training, welfare services and miscellaneous items, such as transport of workers, work clothes and recruitment, together with taxes regarded as labour cost. For more information, refer to the Prices, Costs, and Currency Conversions (PRICES) database description.