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South Africa Real Estate Salaries
Key South Africa Salary Findings
ZAR 540,000
median real estate salary in South Africa
45%
of professionals awarded a salary rise in the last year
32.9%
current gender wage gap in south Africa’s real estate market
Julie Teague, Head of Africa - Gauteng
We are pleased to include survey responses from South Africa for the first time in the annual Macdonald & Company survey report, reflecting a truly global picture of remuneration in Real Estate and the Built Environment.
Whist we do not have previous years’ reporting to compare findings (yet), we can say that those typically working in real estate earn 40.3% higher than the national average with a median of ZAR 540,000 annually.
Over the past year, 45% of professionals in the industry received a salary rise, mainly from annual pay review / promotion. Those that saw their pay increase by moving to a new employer saw an average uplift of ZAR 141,760 annually.
Its great news for those that work within emerging Industrial / Logistics asset class as they earn the most remuneration. At the other end of the spectrum, Developing for Residential Build -to-rent saw the least amount of salary and bonus awarded.
Real Estate saw a gender pay gap of nearly 33%, a couple percentage points under the reported national wage gap overall.
This data is based on the information provided by the survey response.
Hiring managers and businesses can receive in-depth salary and bonus bench-marking data – based on recent placements made and up to the minute market trends – for specific job professions by requesting a bespoke report.
Annual pay reviews, along with organisational restructures and moving jobs were the main reasons for receiving a pay rise the minority gained since the start of the pandemic.
Base salary change amount, by reason
Base salary is increased almost as much as five-times when moving to a new employer or receiving a counter offer when a resignation has been tendered, compared to an uplift from a promotion / annual pay review.
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Carl-Michael McLellan, Consultant – Gauteng
Average annual base salaries and bonus, by employer main activity and asset class
Investor / Funds / REIT companies unsurprisingly award the most salary and bonus levels, with those that work with industrial a logistics out-performing other asset classes.
Average annual base salary and bonus, by seniority
Zurika Bleeker, Senior Consultant - Gauteng
Painting a picture of salary and bonus in South Africa's real estate market
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Median base salary and bonus, by demographic
Gender pay gap
Our survey reports real estate has an 32.9% pay gap, which around the wider reported wage gap across the country at up to 35%.
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Julie Teague, Head of Africa - Gauteng 
Zurika Bleeker, Senior Consultant - Gauteng 