Teachers are integral in priming the minds of youth for future professions. According to The Centre of Development and Enterprise, South Africa will need approximately half a million teachers by 2030 to maintain the delivery of quality education. The bad news is that over 20,000 teachers leave the profession annually and a third are over 50 years of age.
So South Africa urgently needs new teachers to replace the teachers who are facing retirement. But is the career worth pursuing or is it better to be a school principal? This week’s payslips show us how much teachers’ salaries fare across South African Provinces.
Gauteng Teacher Salary
Research shows that Gauteng spends the most per child in education with the education budget contributing R2500.00 more per child compared to Limpopo and KwaZulu Natal. However, whilst being the proverbial City of Gold, teachers’ salaries average R20 000 net salary. A significant difference in net pay is detected only for the lucky few who teach in elite private schools. Factors that affect teachers’ salaries are tertiary education, years of experience and whether they are teaching an in-demand subject like mathematics. Other deductive factors include home loans, the number of insurance policies and whether they are permanent or on contract.
Case in point is the payslip from a teacher with 30 Years of experience who takes home a meagre R19 800 after deductions. Her gross salary is approximately R30 500.00 and the difference is attributed to tax deductions.
Another teacher with eight years of experience grossed R28 000 with a net pay of 22 000 after deductions. Whilst the table below is from a study conducted five years ago, the reality is little has changed and teacher salaries are staggering behind the current cost of living.
Specialising is key to earning above the average especially taking that specialisation to a private school. A private school teacher in AP mathematics’s net salary is R34 789 from a whopping gross salary of R47 342. Added benefits include a considerable discount on the R100 000 school fees for the teacher’s child saving them a sizeable portion.
Western Cape Teacher Salaries
Western Cape teachers’ salary presents a conundrum because the goal for a permanent teaching post may mean that the net salary decreases. The advice here is to weigh the long-term benefits like having a pension fund. Having a Bachelor of Science and PGCE also puts certain teachers in a favourable position.
The contract teacher’s basic salary was R27 802. He had the addition of service benefits amounting to R10 286 resulting in a net salary of R30 700 after deductions. Following a permanent appointment, the basic salary remained the same but the gross salary decreased by approximately R8000. The teacher currently has a net salary of R22 000 after tax deductions and pension fund contributions.
Teachers are contractually supposed to get an annual bonus but due to taxes, they end up taking home a fraction of the total bonus. A permanent post-level 1 teacher with a basic salary of R25 905 takes home R44 549 even after a bonus due to tax deductions of approximately R10 000.
Disappointing Provincial Teacher Salaries
Shockingly the years of experience and the type of tertiary education seem to fare better for teachers if they are teaching in Gauteng or the Western Cape.
Eastern Cape teachers’ received a net pay of R21 000 from a gross of R28 000. Sadly, it does not change much with a bonus of R26 932 as the net salary becomes R28 000 after tax deductions totalled R24 988. The payslips from KwaZulu Natal and Limpopo barely graze the R20 000 mark. Evidence from a newly qualified Limpopo teacher with a BEd in Math and Science shows a net pay of R20 400. Contrarily, a Mpumalanga teacher with three years’ experience earned just R20 866. So these are the provinces to stay away from; better to teach in Gauteng or the Western Cape.
For more watch Boni breakdown the details of each payslip on the YouTube page.
Are you a teacher from Free State or the Northern Cape? Send your payslips to Boni on TikTok or Instagram.
