How far do salaries go? South Africa ranked against nine African countries

South Africa has emerged as the leading African country for salary purchasing power in 2026, ahead of several economies in Southern, North and East Africa.

The finding comes from Numbeo’s 2026 Mid-Year Local Purchasing Power Index, which compares how much the average net salary can buy after accounting for the cost of goods and services in different countries.

The index uses New York City as its benchmark, with a score of 100.

A higher score indicates stronger purchasing power relative to the benchmark.

10 African countries with the highest salary purchasing power

South Africa recorded a score of 105.5, making it the only African country in the top 10 with a score above 100.

Botswana followed with 80, while Namibia secured third place with 69. Mauritius was fourth with 54.1, ahead of Morocco, which recorded 44.

The remaining countries in the top 10 were Libya (37.8), Algeria (35), Tunisia (34), Kenya (33.4) and Seychelles (31.5).

The rankings highlight the differences in how far average salaries stretch across African economies.

How South Africa compares with its neighbours

South Africa’s position is particularly notable when compared with its neighbouring countries.

Botswana and Namibia secured second and third positions, respectively, suggesting that workers in these Southern African economies also enjoy relatively strong purchasing power.

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, did not make the top 10.

Its score of 27.8 placed it considerably behind South Africa, Botswana and Namibia in Numbeo’s 2026 Mid-Year global dataset.

Mozambique also fell outside the top 10, recording a score of 30.9.

African rank	Country	Index score
1	South Africa	105.5
2	Botswana	80.0
3	Namibia	69.0
4	Mauritius	54.1
5	Morocco	44.0
6	Libya	37.8
7	Algeria	35.0
8	Tunisia	34.0
9	Kenya	33.4
10	Seychelles	31.5

Higher national wealth does not guarantee stronger purchasing power

The rankings also show that having a higher GDP per capita does not necessarily mean workers enjoy greater purchasing power.

Seychelles, for example, has Africa’s highest GDP per capita, according to October 2026 IMF estimates cited by Business Insider Africa.

However, it placed tenth in the salary purchasing power comparison.

This illustrates why the cost of living and the relationship between wages and everyday expenses matter when assessing how comfortably workers can afford goods and services.