There are significant regional differences in women’s median earnings across the country, according to a Statistics SA report which tracks South Africans’ earnings between 2017 to 2022.

Women in Gauteng and the Western Cape consistently earned higher salaries compared with other provinces, with Gauteng’s median earnings reaching R7,000 by 2022 – higher than the national median for men (R6,000 a month). In contrast, provinces such as Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal saw slower growth, with women in Limpopo earning a median R3,700 a month and R4,200 in KwaZulu-Natal. The national median for both sexes is R5,417 a month.

Other provinces such as the Eastern Cape and Free State have seen slower salary increases over time, with the median earnings of women in the Eastern Cape reaching just R4,000 by 2022.

In general, all employees earn more in Gauteng than anywhere else in the country. Overall median earnings are R2,000 higher there than the national median.