Addressing the gender pay gap in SA

MORE than three decades into democracy, South African women are still earning 35% less than men for the same work, with voluntary government interventions falling short in compelling companies to close gender pay gaps.

- GCWALISILE KHANYILE

According to recent data from the World Economic Forum and other sources, in South Africa the gender pay gap in 2025 shows women earn 23% to 35% less than men for the same work. This translates to women earning roughly R72.44 for every R100 earned by men. A significant portion of this gap is attributed to women working in lower-paying companies and industries.

Stellenbosch University experts in their paper titled, Gender pay transparency mechanisms: Future directions for South Africa, say that despite various pieces of legislation aimed at preventing gender discrimination in the workplace, South Africa has a stagnant median gender pay gap of between 23% and 35%. The average global gap is about 20%, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).