This is one of the findings in the 2025 Software Developer Salary Benchmarking Report from Cape Town-based online technology talent marketplace OfferZen .
OfferZen surveyed 3 400 developers between 25 September and 8 November 2024 to gather its data, and the amounts published in the report reflect gross monthly salary before deductions.
"Consulting, cloud tech and fintech offer some of the highest average salaries in the country. These sectors typically include enterprise companies like banks and large multinational firms, which typically pay higher salaries than smaller companies," said the report.
There a number of factors contributing to the overall earnings potential of developers in South Africa, with seniority - measured in years of experience - most closely correlating with higher levels of income.
But other factors such as a developer's city of employment, their framework of specialisation, their programming languages used and the industry they work in can influence earnings in different ways at different stages of their career.