SA's average take-home pay hit R21 689. Why it buys less than last year

The average South African salary earner took home R21 689 in September 2026, according to the PayInc Net Salary Index released on Wednesday, 28 October. That is 0.3% more than in August and 1.8% more than a year ago.

Prices rose faster than that. Adjusted for inflation, the average pay packet was worth R20 178, which is 2.6% less than in September 2025, PayInc's figures show.

How much does the average South African take home?

R21 689 a month after deductions, in September. The index looks at about 2.1 million salary earners whose net pay lands in their bank accounts through PayInc, the national payments clearing house formerly called BankservAfrica. It only counts people earning between R5 000 and R100 000 a month after deductions, so the very lowest and highest earners are left out, according to PayInc's methodology.

Net pay here means what reaches your bank account. Income tax, UIF and pension contributions have already come off, and for some workers so have medical aid and debt repayments, PayInc explains.

Why is my salary worth less than last year?

Because inflation has outpaced pay rises. A year ago, in September 2025, the average real net salary stood at R20 716, PayInc's data table shows (real figures are in December 2024 rand). This September it was R20 178. On those numbers, the average pay packet buys roughly R538 less a month than it did a year ago.

Independent economist Elize Kruger said nominal net salaries are up 1.7% on average so far this year, against a 3.7% rise in 2025, The Citizen reported.

Kruger pointed to fuel. Big petrol and diesel increases since April, after conflict broke out in the Middle East, have pushed up transport costs across the economy and fed into two interest rate hikes this year, she said. Brent crude was trading at about $115 a barrel on Wednesday morning, according to The Citizen.

Is it getting better or worse?

Slightly better than August, but not by much. In August the average take-home pay dipped 0.1% to R21 622, and the real figure fell 0.5% to R20 164, PayInc said at the time. September's real figure is R14 higher than that.

Kruger had warned in September that inflation was expected to climb above 5% from October and stay high for several months, IT-Online reported. Treasury has cut part of the fuel levy for November and December, which gives some short-term relief at the pump, The Citizen noted.

How does this compare with what employers report?

Stats SA's Quarterly Employment Statistics put average gross monthly earnings in the formal non-agricultural sector at R32 828 in the first half of 2026, PayInc noted in its August release. That figure is before tax and deductions, which is why it is much higher than the R21 689 take-home average.

Electricity, gas and water supply was the best-paid sector, at R62 454 a month gross. Wholesale and retail, construction and manufacturing all paid below the economy-wide average, according to the same release.