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Discover global hiring strategies from leading recruitment platforms
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Speed up your global expansion! Expand smartly in 150+ countries with the #1 rated EOR globally.
Explore Multiplier EOR
Your guide to the employment landscape, working customs and local labor laws in South Africa.
Capital
Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein
Currency
South African Rand (ZAR)
Languages
Afrikaans, English, Xhosa, Zulu, Southern Sotho, Venda, Tswana, Northern Sotho, Tsonga, Swati, Ndebele
GDP per Capita
$6,812.82
Employer Tax
2%
Payroll Frequency
Monthly
South Africa is an upper, middle income economy and is one of the largest economies in the African continent. The country is known for its abundance in natural resources, which has greatly contributed to their GDP. Among the natural products they produce are platinum, gold, titanium, chromium, phosphate, vanadium, iron ore, cobalt, uranium and manganese.
Major economic hubs:
Johannesburg, Cape Town, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane
Skills in demand:
Local: 1
World : 336
Local: 2
World: 469
Local: 3
World: 475
Local: 4
World : 503
Local: 5
World: 897
careers24, Jobvine, BestJobs, CareerJunction
10,580,000
Acuity Consultants, Lexdan Select, CA Financial Appointments
Top Local Job Boards:
Top Local Job Boards
Number of LinkedIn users:
Number of LinkedIn users
Top Recruitment Agencies:
Some of the jobs in South Africa with annual monthly salary are as follows;
| Job Title | Average Monthly Salary (ZAR) | Average Monthly Salary (USD) |
| Accounting Manager | 46,300 | 2718.94 |
| Software Engineer | 30,800 | 1808.71 |
| Data Analyst | 28,300 | 1661.90 |
| User Experience Designer | 21,400 | 1256.70 |
| Project Manager | 41,000 | 2407.70 |
| Sales Manager | 57,400 | 3370.78 |
Employees in South Africa are protected by the employment legislations set by their government. When onboarding locals in the country, it is important that the employer is knowledgeable of these laws for their employees’ welfare. Below are some of the rules that they must observe for their workforce:
Due to the diversity in South Africa, employment contracts must be written in a language that both the employer and employee understands. In the event that both parties have differing language preference, a translation must be prepared. This must also be applied in the event of employment proceedings.
New employees in South Africa are expected to undergo a probation period of up to 3 months.
| Date | Holiday | Type |
| 1 Jan | New Year’s Day | Public Holiday |
| 21 Mar | Human Rights Day | Public Holiday |
| 29 Mar | Good Friday | Public Holiday |
| 1 Apr | Family Day | Public Holiday |
| 27 Apr | Freedom Day | Public Holiday |
| 1 May | Workers’ Day | Public Holiday |
| 16 Jun | Youth Day | Public Holiday |
| 17 Jun | Day off for Youth Day | Public Holiday |
| 9 Aug | National Women’s Day | Public Holiday |
| 24 Sep | Heritage Day | Public Holiday |
| 16 Dec | Day of Reconciliation | Public Holiday |
| 25 Dec | Christmas Day | Public Holiday |
| 26 Dec | Day of Goodwill | Public Holiday |
| Type of Leave | Time Period | Mandatory |
| Annual Leave | 21 days | Yes |
| Sick Leave | 30 days | Yes |
| Maternity Leave | 4 months | Yes |
Leave Compliance
Payroll cycle
In South Africa, payroll is released monthly and is usually given every 25th day of the month.
Minimum wage
The minimum wage in South Africa is ZAR 23.19 per hour.
Overtime pay
Employees exceeding the 45 hours of work in a week are paid either 1.5 times the hourly rate or an equivalent amount of time off.
| Type of Contribution | Tax Rate |
| Unemployment Insurance | 1% (capped at ZAR 212,544 annually) |
| Skills Development Levy (SDL) | 1% |
| Type of Contribution | Tax Rate |
| Unemployment Insurance | 1% (capped at ZAR 212,544 annually) |
| Income (ZAR) | Tax amount (ZAR) | Tax on excess (%) |
| 0 to 226,000 | 0 | 18 |
| 226,001 to 353,100 | 40,680 | 26 |
| 353,101 to 488,700 | 73,726 | 31 |
| 488,701 to 641,400 | 115,762 | 36 |
| 641,401 to 817,600 | 170,734 | 39 |
| 817,601 to 1,731,600 | 239,452 | 41 |
| 1,731,601 and above | 614,192 | 45 |
The standard rate for VAT in South Africa is 15%.
A 13th month pay in South Africa is not mandatory.
Below are some of the benefits that South African employees receive upon employment:
Termination of employment contracts in South Africa may occur for varying reasons. Below are some of them:
Notice Period in South Africa is up to one month.
Employers must pay their terminated employees a severance pay equal to one week’s worth of salary for every year of completed service.
Foreigners applying for job positions in South Africa must apply for a work visa to legally work in the country. Below are the different types that expats can apply for:
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Overtime Pay
Minimum Wage
Overtime Pay
Visa and Immigration
By use case
By team
By company size
South Africa
