With wage debates and uproar fresh in the minds of South African’s citizens, BusinessTech takes a look at some of the highest minimum wages in the world and how South Africa compares.<\/p>\n
The wage calculations below are taken as the gross wage before reductions, taxes and other social payments and does not take into account purchasing power parity<\/a>.<\/p>\n The figures also do not take into account money accrued through other variables such as paid public holidays (which will differ from country to country), sick days and paid leave.<\/p>\n Working hours per week vary between 36 – 43 hours a week, and as such all calculations were made on the average of 40 working hours per week and 52 weeks (or 12 months) per year.<\/p>\n For all countries, the lowest possible wage was taken for the calculation.<\/p>\n Minimum wages in most developed countries are generally high, and take into account many variables such as age, industry and skill level when determining a lowest payable salary.<\/p>\n Australia’s national minimum wage is set at $15.96 per hour or $606.40 per week (AUS$31,532.80 per year), which, after conversions, translates to R23,945 per month (R287,336.33 per year).<\/p>\n This is compared to the R1,375.94 minimum wage a farm worker in South Africa now gets paid per month.<\/p>\n As expected, African nations – as well as other developing nations across the world – fall far below the more developed countries.<\/p>\n In some cases, countries do not have a national minimum wage, but one is set by different industry bodies.<\/p>\n In terms of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), SA sits in the middle when it comes to minimum wages.<\/p>\n Neither India nor China have a set minimum wage across the entire country, but each region and province has its own set minimum.<\/p>\n In China, for example, Beijing and Shanghai employees get a minimum wage of around $200 per month, compared to the Jiangxi, which has a set minimum of between $80 and $115.<\/p>\nThe developed world<\/h3>\n
Top 12<\/h3>\n
\n\n
\n Country<\/strong><\/td>\n Per day (local currency)<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\nPer week (local currency)<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\nPer month (local currency)<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\nPer year (local currency)
\n<\/strong><\/td>\nPer year (US$)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Australia<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 606.40<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 31532.80<\/td>\n 32680.59<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Luxembourg<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 1801.49<\/td>\n 21617.88<\/td>\n 28872.84<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Switzerland<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 2200.00<\/td>\n 26400.00<\/td>\n 28645.85<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Ireland<\/td>\n 8.65<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 17992.00<\/td>\n 24030.12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n New Zealand<\/td>\n 13.50<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 28080.00<\/td>\n 23890.46<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Belgium<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 1472.40<\/td>\n 17668.80<\/td>\n 23598.45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Netherlands<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 333.85<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 17360.20<\/td>\n 23200.17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n France<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 1425.67<\/td>\n 17108.04<\/td>\n 22849.50<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n United Kingdom<\/td>\n 6.19<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 12875.20<\/td>\n 19977.16<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n San Marino<\/td>\n 7.04<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 14643.20<\/td>\n 19557.46<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Canada<\/td>\n 9.27<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 19281.60<\/td>\n 19273.89<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n United States<\/td>\n 7.25<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 15080.00<\/td>\n 15080.00<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n Looking at Africa<\/h3>\n
\n\n
\n Country<\/strong><\/td>\n Per day (local currency)<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\nPer week (local currency)<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\nPer month (local currency)<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\nPer year (local currency)<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/td>\nPer year (US$)<\/strong><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Egypt<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 700.00<\/td>\n 8400.00<\/td>\n 5408.38<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Algeria<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 18000.00<\/td>\n 216000.00<\/td>\n 2755.45<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n South Africa<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 1375.94<\/td>\n 16511.28<\/td>\n 1876.31<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Tunisia<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 218.00<\/td>\n 2616.00<\/td>\n 1681.88<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Republic of Congo<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 54000.00<\/td>\n 648000.00<\/td>\n 1314.53<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Botswana<\/td>\n 3.8<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 7904.00<\/td>\n 995.11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Kenya<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 2536.00<\/td>\n 30432.00<\/td>\n 347.99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Uganda<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n –<\/td>\n 6000.00<\/td>\n 72000.00<\/td>\n 27.32<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n BRICS nations<\/h3>\n