You won't believe how much cashiers earn in South Africa

Updated Dec. 3, 2024, 6:40 a.m. | By East Coast Breakfast

BusinessTech recently shared the average salaries of retail cashiers in South Africa, and the numbers will shock you.

Retail cashiers in South Africa are some of the bravest people in our economy. They work long hours, interact with customers of different characters and backgrounds, and have to ask the same question over and over again, "Plastic?" All of this for minimal pay.

Well, BusinessTech recently released an article sharing just how much they earn. Obviously, this is not the most glamorous job in the world but after you see this, you might consider being a little kinder to them.

The retail sector is South Africa’s second-largest employer after the government, making up almost 17% of the country’s workforce. This sector not only helps the economy grow, but it helps support a large percentage of lower-income South African households.

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Earlier this year, the Department of Employment and Labour updated sectoral determinations for the wholesale and retail industry, setting new minimum wages.

The National Minimum Wage increased to R27.58 per hour, while cashiers in the sector earn slightly more, ranging between R27.58 and R39.49 per hour depending on where they work. This adds up to monthly earnings of R5,377.69 to R5,948.99. That's nearly how much some people spend on groceries alone. Per annum, these workers earn between R64,532 to R71,387.

Thankfully though, South Africa’s largest retailers use their own wage policies to pay their cashiers a bit more than the minimum wage.

JustShare's analysis of ten JSE-listed retailers revealed an average internal minimum wage of R36.83 per hour, or R5,893.39 per month.

This analysis revealed that Woolworths leads the wholesale sector, paying employees 54% higher than the national minimum. Are we really surprised though? It's Woolworths.

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These are the average annual salaries of cashiers working in the retail industry:

Woolworths: R93,600 per annum

Shoprite: R65,263 per annum

Pick n Pay: R64,537 per annum

Spar: R59,483 per annum

Despite these efforts, wage inequality remains very significant. CEOs in the sector, on average, earn 597 times more than the lowest-paid workers, highlighting extreme income disparities.

For perspective, a cashier at Woolworths earns R93,600 per year. 597 times that amount is R55,897,200 per year.

Woah.