South African workers took home less pay in April 2026, with the average nominal net salary declining to R21 228 as households continued to battle rising living costs, high debt levels and mounting pressure on disposable income.
The PayInc Net Salary Index Report is released monthly and tracks the average nominal net salaries of approximately 2.1 million South African earners. The report, released on Wednesday, comes amid the conflict in the Middle East, which has contributed to rising prices for a range of goods and services, placing further pressure on household finances.
The average nominal net salary declined to R21 228 in April 2026. This represents a 0.6 decrease from March and a 0.5 decline compared to April 2025, said Shergeran Naidoo, head of stakeholder engagement at PayInc.
