CEO Average Salary in South Africa 2024
How much money does a person working as CEO make in South Africa?
LOW
37,800
ZAR AVERAGE
72,700
ZAR HIGH
111,000
ZAR
A person working as CEO in South Africa typically earns around 72,700 ZAR. Salaries range from 37,800 ZAR (lowest) to 111,000 ZAR (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. CEO salaries in South Africa vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
CEO Pay Scale and Salaries in South Africa
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
65,900 ZAR or more
58,700 to 65,900 ZAR
42,800 ZAR or less
42,800 to 58,700 ZAR
 37,800 ZAR |
66,100 ZAR |
111,000 ZAR |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position CEO in South Africa range from 37,800 ZAR (starting salary) to 111,000 ZAR (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
Median Salary
With a median salary of 66,100 ZAR, half of the professionals who work as CEO in South Africa earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as CEO in South Africa earn less than 54,800 ZAR, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 75,000 ZAR while 25% earn more.
Pay Scale Structure
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title CEO in South Africa compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 42,800 ZAR to 58,700 ZAR. About 20% of salaries are below the 42,800 ZAR mark, while 10% fall within the range of 58,700 ZAR to 65,900 ZAR. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 65,900 ZAR.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / CEO / South Africa
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 43,000 ZAR | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +34% | 57,600 ZAR |
| 5 - 10 Years | +30% | 74,900 ZAR |
| 10 - 15 Years | +21% | 90,700 ZAR |
| 15 - 20 Years | +9% | 99,100 ZAR |
| 20+ Years | +5% | 104,000 ZAR |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as CEO and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 43,000 ZAR.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 57,600 ZAR, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 74,900 ZAR, 30% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 90,700 ZAR, 21% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 99,100 ZAR, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 104,000 ZAR, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / CEO / South Africa
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as CEO.
| High School | 40,800 ZAR | |
| Certificate or Diploma | +18% | 48,100 ZAR |
| Bachelor's Degree | +35% | 65,000 ZAR |
| Master's Degree | +44% | 93,600 ZAR |
| PhD | +18% | 111,000 ZAR |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position CEO in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: High School
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 40,800 ZAR.
Level 2: Certificate or Diploma
At this level, the average salary becomes 48,100 ZAR, 18% more than the previous level.
Level 3: Bachelor's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 65,000 ZAR, 35% more than the previous level.
Level 4: Master's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 93,600 ZAR, 44% more than the previous level.
Level 5: PhD
At this level, the average salary becomes 111,000 ZAR, 18% more than the previous level.
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in South Africa costs anywhere from 156,000 ZAR to 469,000 ZAR and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / CEO / South Africa
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as CEO in South Africa, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 8%.
| Male | 75,900 ZAR | |
| Female | -7% | 70,400 ZAR |
Salary Comparison By Gender in South Africa for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / CEO / South Africa
How much are annual salary increments in South Africa for individuals working as CEO? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as CEO in South Africa are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 14% every 18 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 18 months.
South Africa / All Professions
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / CEO / South Africa
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
Share This Chart Tweet Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/south-africa/executive-and-management/ceo/annual-salary-bonus-rate-south-africa-ceo.jpg
20% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 80% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 6% to 8% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 80% | |
| No Bonus | 20% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Average Hourly Wage / CEO / South Africa
420 ZAR per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as CEO in South Africa is 420 ZAR.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
About The Hourly Pay Rate
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as CEO in South Africa is 220 ZAR. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Executive and Management |  -100% | |
| Account Coordinator | 31,600 ZAR | -57% |
| Account Director | 35,800 ZAR | -51% |
| Account Executive | 38,000 ZAR | -48% |
| Account Manager | 34,800 ZAR | -52% |
| Administration Manager | 37,400 ZAR | -49% |
| Administration Officer | 20,000 ZAR | -72% |
| Administration Supervisor | 31,200 ZAR | -57% |
| Administrative Clerk | 14,400 ZAR | -80% |
| Administrative Officer | 15,000 ZAR | -79% |
| Area Director | 32,500 ZAR | -55% |
| Area Manager | 32,900 ZAR | -55% |
| Asset Protection Associate | 41,200 ZAR | -43% |
| Assistant Director | 35,700 ZAR | -51% |
| Assistant General Manager | 38,800 ZAR | -47% |
| Assistant Manager | 39,900 ZAR | -45% |
| Assistant Managing Director | 44,100 ZAR | -39% |
| Assistant Operations Manager | 40,800 ZAR | -44% |
| Assistant Project Manager | 37,900 ZAR | -48% |
| Assistant Section Head | 31,500 ZAR | -57% |
| Assistant to CEO | 33,800 ZAR | -54% |
| Assistant Vice President | 41,000 ZAR | -44% |
| Associate Account Director | 38,600 ZAR | -47% |
| Associate Director | 37,000 ZAR | -49% |
| Bid Manager | 44,600 ZAR | -39% |
| Branch Manager | 40,100 ZAR | -45% |
| Business Development Manager | 47,300 ZAR | -35% |
| Business Operations Associate | 38,400 ZAR | -47% |
| Business Operations Lead | 39,600 ZAR | -46% |
| Campaign Manager | 41,100 ZAR | -43% |
| Catering Coordinator | 23,200 ZAR | -68% |
| Catering Manager | 38,700 ZAR | -47% |
| CEO | 72,700 ZAR | -0% |
| Chairman of The Board | 71,300 ZAR | -2% |
| Chairman Office Manager | 46,900 ZAR | -36% |
| Chief Commercial Officer | 53,400 ZAR | -27% |
| Chief Corporate Officer | 59,600 ZAR | -18% |
| Chief Digital Officer | 53,000 ZAR | -27% |
| Chief Digital Strategy Officer | 54,000 ZAR | -26% |
| Chief Digital Transformation Officer | 50,500 ZAR | -31% |
| Chief Ethics Officer | 46,100 ZAR | -37% |
| Chief Executive Officer | 70,100 ZAR | -4% |
| Chief Financial Officer | 67,600 ZAR | -7% |
| Chief Investment Officer | 53,800 ZAR | -26% |
| Chief of Staff | 33,100 ZAR | -54% |
| Chief Operating Officer | 52,600 ZAR | -28% |
| Chief Privacy Officer | 44,400 ZAR | -39% |
| Chief Resilience Officer | 51,100 ZAR | -30% |
| Chief Risk Officer | 48,000 ZAR | -34% |
| Chief Strategy Officer | 57,400 ZAR | -21% |
| Chief Trust and Safety Officer | 43,900 ZAR | -40% |
| Client Account Manager | 45,000 ZAR | -38% |
| Client Accounts Officer | 37,900 ZAR | -48% |
| Client Services Manager | 47,200 ZAR | -35% |
| Commercial Director | 52,000 ZAR | -28% |
| Commercial Manager | 42,800 ZAR | -41% |
| Commercial Project Manager | 41,600 ZAR | -43% |
| Commodity Broker | 31,800 ZAR | -56% |
| COO | 54,600 ZAR | -25% |
| Corporate Affairs Executive | 43,400 ZAR | -40% |
| Corporate Compliance Director | 45,700 ZAR | -37% |
| Corporate Director | 48,000 ZAR | -34% |
| Corporate Officer | 32,800 ZAR | -55% |
| Corporate Partnerships Officer | 35,300 ZAR | -51% |
| Country Manager | 57,000 ZAR | -22% |
| Department Head | 43,100 ZAR | -41% |
| Department Manager | 43,200 ZAR | -41% |
| Department Supervisor | 37,300 ZAR | -49% |
| Deputy Director | 49,700 ZAR | -32% |
| Deputy Manager | 50,700 ZAR | -30% |
| Director | 58,300 ZAR | -20% |
| Director of Accreditation | 46,600 ZAR | -36% |
| Director of Catering Services | 41,900 ZAR | -42% |
| Director of Client Services | 45,400 ZAR | -38% |
| Director of Facilities Management | 38,400 ZAR | -47% |
| Director of Operations | 49,000 ZAR | -33% |
| Director of Process Simplification | 38,200 ZAR | -47% |
| Director of Product Management | 48,600 ZAR | -33% |
| Director of Project Management | 51,100 ZAR | -30% |
| Director of Revenue Management | 44,800 ZAR | -38% |
| Director of Training and Development | 45,200 ZAR | -38% |
| Distribution Manager | 48,400 ZAR | -33% |
| Division Manager | 43,200 ZAR | -41% |
| Duty Manager | 43,000 ZAR | -41% |
| Engagement Manager | 50,700 ZAR | -30% |
| Executive Director | 69,700 ZAR | -4% |
| Executive Manager | 57,900 ZAR | -20% |
| Franchise Manager | 60,400 ZAR | -17% |
| General Manager | 55,200 ZAR | -24% |
| Generational Consultant | 40,700 ZAR | -44% |
| Global Master Data Manager | 49,100 ZAR | -32% |
| Global Technical Lead | 32,700 ZAR | -55% |
| Head of Investment | 49,400 ZAR | -32% |
| Head of Middle Office | 46,300 ZAR | -36% |
| Head of Projects | 49,000 ZAR | -33% |
| Head of Strategy | 55,300 ZAR | -24% |
| Head of Supply Chain | 45,100 ZAR | -38% |
| Head of Sustainability | 41,400 ZAR | -43% |
| Housing Manager | 40,000 ZAR | -45% |
| HSE Manager | 42,000 ZAR | -42% |
| Innovation Manager | 42,400 ZAR | -42% |
| Key Account Manager | 41,500 ZAR | -43% |
| Knowledge Manager | 46,900 ZAR | -36% |
| Location Manager | 44,600 ZAR | -39% |
| Logistics Executive | 37,200 ZAR | -49% |
| Logistics Manager | 38,500 ZAR | -47% |
| Management Consultant | 37,500 ZAR | -48% |
| Management Executive | 52,400 ZAR | -28% |
| Manager | 49,200 ZAR | -32% |
| Managing Director | 56,900 ZAR | -22% |
| MIS Executive | 48,100 ZAR | -34% |
| Ocean Services Manager | 50,500 ZAR | -31% |
| Online Business Manager | 65,000 ZAR | -11% |
| Operational Manager | 51,700 ZAR | -29% |
| Operations Analyst | 43,100 ZAR | -41% |
| Operations Assistant | 35,800 ZAR | -51% |
| Operations Director | 52,100 ZAR | -28% |
| Operations Executive | 53,600 ZAR | -26% |
| Operations Manager | 55,000 ZAR | -24% |
| Operations Supervisor | 46,800 ZAR | -36% |
| Planning Director | 50,200 ZAR | -31% |
| PMO Manager | 44,700 ZAR | -39% |
| Policy Administration Executive | 40,800 ZAR | -44% |
| Private Sector Executive | 41,100 ZAR | -43% |
| Product Development Manager | 49,500 ZAR | -32% |
| Product Executive | 43,500 ZAR | -40% |
| Production Executive | 47,900 ZAR | -34% |
| Production Manager | 47,000 ZAR | -35% |
| Production Supervisor | 42,400 ZAR | -42% |
| Program Director | 52,800 ZAR | -27% |
| Program Manager | 48,700 ZAR | -33% |
| Programme Coordinator | 36,500 ZAR | -50% |
| Project Control Manager | 50,500 ZAR | -31% |
| Project Coordinator | 28,900 ZAR | -60% |
| Project Management Officer | 33,900 ZAR | -53% |
| Project Manager | 35,700 ZAR | -51% |
| Project Portfolio Manager | 38,300 ZAR | -47% |
| Quality Manager | 38,500 ZAR | -47% |
| R/D Director | 44,900 ZAR | -38% |
| Regional Director | 65,500 ZAR | -10% |
| Regional Manager | 47,900 ZAR | -34% |
| Relationship Manager | 47,300 ZAR | -35% |
| Retail District Manager | 35,900 ZAR | -51% |
| Revenue Manager | 38,100 ZAR | -48% |
| Risk and Capital Manager | 54,800 ZAR | -25% |
| Risk Officer | 36,700 ZAR | -50% |
| Safety Manager | 36,500 ZAR | -50% |
| Section Head | 35,800 ZAR | -51% |
| Service Manager | 37,700 ZAR | -48% |
| Shift Supervisor | 28,600 ZAR | -61% |
| Solutions Manager | 34,700 ZAR | -52% |
| Supervisor | 29,400 ZAR | -60% |
| Supply Chain Manager | 49,400 ZAR | -32% |
| Surveyor | 35,500 ZAR | -51% |
| Technical Director | 48,300 ZAR | -34% |
| Technical Manager | 46,600 ZAR | -36% |
| Territory Manager | 47,100 ZAR | -35% |
| Validation Manager | 42,900 ZAR | -41% |
| Vice President | 57,800 ZAR | -21% |
| Zone Manager | 49,800 ZAR | -32% |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in South Africa is 7% on average across all career fields.
| Private Sector | 30,400 ZAR | |
| Public Sector | +7% | 32,400 ZAR |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title CEO in South Africa?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 66,100 ZAR and 75,000 ZAR. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for a careers like CEO in South Africa ranges from 37,800 ZAR to 54,800 ZAR. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
