March payslips lighten up - but it's not all bad news

South Africa's average nominal take-home pay fell to R17 811 in March - a 2.5% drop from February's R18 272 - as tightening economic conditions take a toll on earnings.

- Moneyweb

This is according to the latest BankservAfrica Take-home Pay Index, which shows although pay dipped in March, it's still above the level of R15 983 a year earlier.

Despite the nominal decline, real take-home pay, adjusted for inflation, moderated by 2.9% to R15 343 in March 2025, compared to R15 793 in February, still a notable 8.1% up on year-ago levels.

However, this trend will likely shift as trade tensions and growing political uncertainty are expected to affect the economy and salary earners in the near term.