How much money petrol attendants earn in South Africa

New data has revealed that petrol attendants earn an average tip of R30, with at least 12 tips a day. This means some could be earning as much as R18,000 per month when added to their basic salary.

Petrol attendants in South Africa play a crucial role in motorists’ daily lives and the overall functioning of fuel stations.

In addition to pumping fuel, attendants perform maintenance tasks, including cleaning windshields, checking oil and water levels, and ensuring optimal tyre pressure.

According to data from Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), roughly 140,000 people are employed in various positions at petrol stations across South Africa.

Gauteng has the highest share of petrol station workers, accounting for roughly a third of petrol station jobs.

KwaZulu-Natal is second, and the Western Cape is third. These three provinces alone account for about two-thirds of the country’s total petrol station employment.

Considering these numbers, it is evident that the fuel industry is a key contributor to employment in South Africa.

According to the Motor Industry Bargaining Council (MIBCO) wage tables, effective until August 2025, South Africa’s petrol attendants earn more than the National Minimum Wage. 

According to the wage tables, petrol attendants earn a minimum of R1,962.45 per week (R7,850 a month), or R43.61 per hour, while cashiers earn slightly less (R1,941.75 per week).

However, tipping petrol attendants has become customary in South Africa, and adds to an attendant’s final take at the end of the month.

According to Glassdoor, an online salary and employment firm, salary submissions and surveys show that petrol attendants earn roughly R750 in tips per month in Johannesburg, South Africa.

A 2024 BusinessTech poll of 4,720 readers showed that many South Africans often don’t tip petrol attendants.

Of the respondents, 2,072 (44%) said they don’t tip, while 1,278 (27%) said they tip R5. Only 13% tipped over R10. This included 466 (10%) people noting that they tip R20, while 138 (3%) said they tip more than R20.

Experts note that this lack of tipping is partly due to the reduced amount of cash South Africans carry around. 

However, this trend of not tipping is turning with new technologies, which allow motorists to tip attendants without needing cash.

This new digital alternative is not only changing the way South Africans tip attendants, but it is also drastically changing what attendants earn every month. 

The average amount per tip surges to R30 

Tipped, a South African digital tipping platform created by Kimlynn Temple, has changed how everyday service workers like petrol attendants and car guards receive tips. 

According to Temple, the average tip processed through the Tipped platform is R30, a figure she calls “a surprising stat” that signals a shift in consumer behaviour. 

This figure applies broadly to car guards and fuel attendants, but Temple highlighted that petrol attendants see a consistent and meaningful benefit. 

“On average, we’re seeing fuel attendants receiving between 12 and 20 tips per day,” she said. “At R30 a tip, it becomes a significant part of their income.”

This means some petrol attendants could earn between R10,800 and R18,000 in tips in some months if they receive an average of R30 for every tip. 

If these numbers are used in addition to the minimum salary of roughly R7,850 per month, one can earn at least R18,650 in some months. 

However, it must be noted that tips can vary significantly. Therefore, this isn’t saying that all or most attendants earn this amount every month. 

She added that this change is part of a broader psychological and behavioural shift, driven largely by the ease of digital tipping. 

“As opposed to handing over money, digging for a R5 coin or R10 note, we’re seeing a shift to tipping digitally,” Temple said. “That’s where we’re seeing the increase, which has been a beautiful thing to witness.” 

By removing the friction of finding small change and making the process faster than paying with cash, Tipped encourages more people to tip, more often.

Temple pointed out that increased tipping isn’t just anecdotal; data backs it. “We managed to increase revenue by almost 40% in our pilot phases,” she said. 

“One petrol attendant recently told me he had over R4,000 worth of tips saved in his Tipped wallet. That’s incredible. For many, a few big tips a day can make a massive difference to their lives and families.”

Part of the challenge with traditional tipping at petrol stations is that not all stations allow tips to be added to the fuel payment, and those that do often face administrative difficulties.

“Many petrol stations have stopped allowing the fuel bill and the tip to be processed as one transaction because it’s a financial and administrative nightmare to delegate tips fairly,” Temple explained. 

“This is where Tipped is coming in—we’re taking the management out of the equation and ensuring tips go directly and instantly to the individual recipient.”

Beyond just ease of use, the timing of tips also reveals interesting social behaviour. Temple notes that tipping spikes during holidays, especially in December and around Easter.

“We saw a noticeable drop in tips over January and February, but they picked up again in March and April,” she said. 

Temple said the data clearly indicates that the easier the tipping experience is, the more likely people are to tip.

“This means more consistent, dignified income for South Africans in the service industry as a whole, not just petrol attendants.”