Jse Tech Ceos Pocket R1.38bn 81.5m In 2025 As Naspers, Karooooo Lead Payout Surge

Chief executives at the five biggest technology companies on the JSE, excluding telecoms, collected a combined R1.38 billion 81.5 million in pay during 2025, according to a recent report by ITWeb. The group of companies Naspers/Prosus, Karooooo, Datatec and Bytes Technology Group together carries a market value of just over R1 trillion 59.1 billion. That is a slice of the bourses roughly 435 listed firms, which have a total market capitalisation of about R21 trillion 1.24 trillion. ITWebs analysis focused on cash salary, short-term bonuses and benefits already earned in 2025. Long-term incentives were excluded because they vest over future years and are often tied to performance hurdles. At Naspers and its international arm, Prosus, CEO Fabrcio Bloisi received cash pay of 637 500, or about R10.79 million 637 000, for the year to March. That looks modest next to performance-based long-term incentives of 54 million, around R914 million 53.9 million, granted but not yet paid. The awards reflect a sharp turnaround: Naspers swung from an operating loss in 2024 to a profit in 2025, while net profit rose from 2.855 billion R47.4 billion, 2.8 billion to 5.242 billion R88 billion, 5.2 billion. Karooooo and Cartrack founder Zak Calisto realised the biggest headline number. He sold 1.5 million Karooooo shares in June at 50 about R846.60 each, booking gross proceeds of roughly R1.27 billion 75.0 million. Including dividends, analysts estimate he pulled in about R1.64 billion 96.9 million, although his actual salary is not disclosed in U.S. filings. Datatec boss Jens Montanana earned total cash of 4.65 million R78.7 million, 4.65 million in 2025, covering salary, pension, benefits and short-term incentives. Datatecs revenue slipped 8.8 to 3.64 billion R61.46 billion, 3.63 billion on softer demand and currency headwinds, but net profit improved to 69.3 million R1.17 billion, 69.1 million thanks to lower restructuring costs, fair-value gains and better margins. Bytes Technology Group CEO Sam Mudd was paid 978 000 R22.08 million, 1.3 million. Bytes reported revenue of 217.1 million R4.9 billion, 289.4 million, up 4.9, and operating profit of 66.4 million R1.5 billion, 88.6 million, up 17.1, even as its share price lagged after governance concerns under a previous chief executive.