South Africans to feel the pinch: take-home pay slides in July

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- PHILIPPA LARKIN

SOUTH Africans will feel the financial sqeeze as the average nominal take-home pay marginally declined in July, according to the latest BankservAfrica Take-home Pay Index (BTPI).

The nominal average take-home pay reached R17 144 in July 2025, 1.1% lower than the R17 339 reflected in June 2025 and a significant 6.9% lower than in February 2025.

The index which tracks the monthly salary movements of approximately 3.8 million South African salary earners.

However, the latest salary payments data reveals the pressure on workers - caught between a weak job market and rising municipal rates. Although the slowdown in 2025 is concerning, the data also points to the current employment trends. “Given that the BTPI is based on the total value of salaries paid into employees’ bank accounts - excluding those above R100 000 - divided by the number of salary payments, it not only tracks pay levels but also reflects the underlying movements in the labour market; said Elize Kruger, an independent economist.