President salaries: Zuma vs Africa

 ·17 Aug 2015

Data compiled by media house, Africa Review, shows that South African president Jacob Zuma is the third-highest paid leader on the African continent, earning over 22 times more than the average citizen.

According to the report, Zuma’s salary of $272,000 per annum is only the third-highest presidential payout, behind Cameroon’s President, Paul Biya, who earns $610,000, and Moroccan ruler King Mohammed VI, who takes $480,000 per year.

With average earnings of $12,240 per capita, Zuma earns 22.22 times more than the average citizen.

While this pay gap is certainly large, it’s still some ways behind other African nations, which see their heads of state taking home hundreds of times more than the national average.

Cameroon’s Biya comes out on top again, with his pay surpassing the national average of $2,660 by a massive 230 times.

Liberian president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, commands the second biggest gap, earning 114 times more than the average citizen.

Sirleaf commands and annual salary of just $90,000, versus the $790 average of her people.

Africa Review’s report noted that the African leaders were ranked according to their salaries, and did not take into account money used from the countries’ coffers for personal use.

Also, many African countries (such as Equatorian Guinea) have poor transparency, making it impossible to determine true pay.

The tables below detail the highest paid presidents in Africa, and the presidents which earn the most relative to their national average.

Africa’s highest paid presidents

# President Country Salary (US$)
1 Paul Biya Cameroon 610 000
2 King Mohammed VI Morocco 480 000
3 Jacob Zuma South Africa 272 000
4 Jakaya Kikwete Tanzania 192 000
5 Abdel Aziz Bouteflika Algeria 168 000
6 Teodoro Nguema Equatorial Guinea 150 000
7 Uhuru Kenyatta Kenya 132 000
8 Ikililou Dhonine Comoros 115 000
9 Denis Sassou Nguesso Congo Republic 110 000
10 Hage Geingob Namibia 110 000
11 Robert Mugabe Zimbabwe 108 000
12 Ameenah Gurib Fakim Mauritius 104 838
13 Alassane Outtara Cote D’Ivoire 100 000
14 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Liberia 90 000
15 Paul Kagame Rwanda 85 000

Biggest presidental pay gaps in Africa

Notably, Tunisia offers the most level payment gap in Africa between its president, Beji Caid Essebsi who earns $16,400 per year, against a national average of $10,960.

South Africa is ranked 16th for its president-citizen gap, according to the data.

Africa’s salary gaps are significantly larger than those of other world leaders:

Read: Does Zuma deserve his R2.75 million salary?

# Country President Salary (US$) Average GNI (US$) Gap
1 Cameroon 610 000 2 660 229.32
2 Liberia 90 000 790 113.92
3 Tanzania 192 000 1 750 109.71
4 Malawi 75 348 750 100.46
5 DR Congo 52 197 680 76.76
6 Comoros 115 000 1 560 73.72
7 Zimbabwe 108 000 1 560 69.23
8 Morocco 480 000 7 000 68.57
9 Rwanda 85 000 1 430 59.44
10 Kenya 132 000 2 250 58.67
11 Mozambique 47 500 1 040 45.67
12 Mali 69 609 1 540 45.20
13 Cote D’Ivoire 100 000 2 900 34.48
14 Ethiopia 44 472 1 350 32.94
15 Congo Republic 110 000 4 720 23.31

More on government salaries

Zuma’s new R2.7 million salary approved

Zuma’s salary vs other world leaders

South African councillors demand R1.3 million salary

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