Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga has gazetted the latest teacher salary in South Africa for all the notches.
In a gazette notice dated 20 January 2023, Motshekga said the salary adjustments are in line with Circular No. 50 of 2022 issued by Acting Public Service and Administration Minister Thulas Nxesi.
The Circular indicated that the government would continue paying the current non-pensionable monthly cash allowance until 31 March 2023. The government will also implement a pensionable 3 percent salary increase effective 1 April 2022 (backdated).
Teacher salary in South Africa per month
According to Motshekga’s gazette notice, the latest teacher salary in South Africa for the entry-level notch (001) is approximately R10,736 per month or R128,838 per annum. The salary for the top notch (432) is approximately R91,534 per month or R1,098,408 per annum.
The table below shows the minimum and maximum salaries for the various notch groups according to their respective Relative Equivalent Qualification Values (REQV):
| Role | Minimum notch & salary per annum | Maximum notch & salary per annum |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher REQV 10-12 | Notch 001: R128,838 | Notch 106: R219,177 |
| Teacher REQV 13 | Notch 108: R221,355 | Notch 268: R489,912 |
| Senior Teacher REQV 13 | Notch 200: R346,893 | Notch 268: R489,192 |
| Master Teacher REQV 13 | Notch 232: R408,969 | Notch 268: R489,192 |
| Teacher REQV 14-17 | Notch 164: R292,764 | Notch 326: R650,172 |
| Senior Teacher REQV 14-17 | Notch 200: R346,893 | Notch 326: R650,172 |
| Master Teacher REQV 14-17 | Notch 232: R408,969 | Notch 326: R650,172 |
Teachers who are part of the school-based management are paid higher salaries, starting with the Departmental Head (minimum salary of R364,599 per annum) to Principal 5 (maximum salary of R1,098,408 per annum).
The table below shows salaries for school-based management:
| Role | Minimum notch & salary per annum | Maximum notch & salary per annum |
|---|---|---|
| Departmental Head | Notch 210: R364,599 | Notch 392: R902,907 |
| Deputy Principal | Notch 244: R434,118 | Notch 408: R977,697 |
| Principal S1 | Notch 001: R128,838 | Notch 362: R777,714 |
| Principal P1 | Notch 210: R364,599 | Notch 362: R777,714 |
| Principal P2 | Notch 244: R434,118 | Notch 392: R902,907 |
| Principal P3 | Notch 280: R540,375 | Notch 420: R1,037,838 |
| Principal P4 | Notch 308: R597,150 | Notch 426: R1,069,269 |
| Principal P5 | Notch 350: R732,633 | Notch 432: R1,098,408 |
You can view salaries for each notch in the detailed gazette notice here.
According to a recent report by Stellenbosch University’s Research on Socio-economic Policy, amounts gazetted by the Minister are often the basic salary teachers get. This means that teachers may earn more when additional benefits are taken into account. The report further found that the government average teacher salary in South Africa was R42,688 per month in 2019, including benefits.