How much money truck drivers earn in South Africa
Employment and Labour minister Thulas Nxesi has published new minimum wages for South Africans who drive as wholesale and retail truck drivers.
The changes take effect from 1 March 2022 alongside recent changes to South Africa’s minimum wage.
These wages establish the minimum baseline across the sector and workers can earn significantly more based on their position and the company that they work for.
According to the regulations, drivers are paid in accordance with what part of South Africa they are based:
| Covers | |
|---|---|
| Area A | Areas around Bergrivier, Breede Valley, Buffalo City, Cape Agulhas, Cederberg, City of Cape Town, City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, City of Tshwane, Drakenstein, Ekurhuleni, Emalahleni, Emfuleni, Ethekwini Metropolitan Unicity, Gamagara, George, Hibiscus Coast, Karoo Hoogland, Kgatelopele, //Khara Hais, Knysna, Kungwini, Kouga, Hessequa local authority, Lesedi, Makana, Mangaung, Matzikama, Metsimaholo, Middelburg (Mpumalanga), Midvaal, Mngeni, Mogale, Mosselbaai, Msunduzi, Mtubatuba, Nama Khoi, Nelson Mandela, Nokeng tsa Taemane, Oudtshoorn, Overstrand, Plettenbergbaai, Potchefstroom, Randfontein, Richtersveld, Saldanha Bay, Sol Plaatjie, Stellenbosch, Swartland, Swellendam, Theewaterskloof, Umdoni, uMhlathuze and Witzenberg. |
| Area B | All Areas not listed in Area A. |
For those who work as drivers, the maximum permissible number of hours per week is 45. Broken down into a working week of five days, which represents a maximum of nine hours per day.
Workers can work overtime and agree to work six-day weeks, depending on the agreement they have with their employer.
It should be noted that these are minimum wages and are not reflective of what more experienced drivers can earn in South Africa.
Drivers can also earn substantially more based on which companies they drive for and what haulage they carry.
| Driver type | Area A | Area B |
|---|---|---|
| Light (3,500 kg or less) | R4 521.70 | R4 521.70 |
| Medium (3,501 kg – 9,000 kg) | R5 436.18 | R4 521.70 |
| Heavy (9,001 kg – 16,000 kg) | R5 917.79 | R5 627.27 |
| Very Heavy (16,001 kg or over) | R6 502.75 | R6 186.87 |
Truck driver salaries have come under increased scrutiny in recent months, with foreign drivers facing increasingly violent attacks.
Local drivers are aggrieved about foreign nationals taking up their work opportunities and the lack of regulation around South Africa’s wider transport industry.
The Department of Labour and Department of Home Affairs says it plans to address these issues by clamping down on foreign drivers, introducing stricter border access controls, and introducing new regulations for South African drivers.
Labour minister Thulas Nxesi has previously indicated that the government could introduce a prohibition on foreign workers in certain sectors as part of a new national labour migration policy.
Answering in a written parliamentary Q&A around e-hailing services in South Africa in June, Nxesi said that one of the recommendations emerging from a range of proposals is the concept of introducing complete prohibitions or quotas on the number of foreign nationals that can be employed in any sector. This may include e-hailing transport, he said.
“This will be in line with Section 36 of our Constitution to justify fair discrimination against foreign nationals as part of our efforts to address local high unemployment levels and to uphold existing minimum labour standards.
“I will release the draft policy and the proposed amendments for public discussion and consultation with the social partners as soon as internal government processes are completed.”
Read: South Africa could go off script with petrol taxes next week: economist
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