- South African content creator Boni Xaba shared a breakdown of a ward councillor’s 2025 payslip, showing gross monthly earnings of R26,783.59 (about KSh 160,701)
- The payslip included a basic salary, cellphone allowance and car allowance, while deductions for tax, pension and a political party levy reduced the take-home pay to R18,522.68 (about KSh 111,136)
- The figures sparked debate on social media about local politicians’ earnings, allowances and the differences in pay across municipalities
A breakdown of a South African local politician’s monthly earnings has sparked discussion online after content creator Boni Xaba shared details of a ward councillor’s payslip on Facebook on 17 October 2026.
Source: Facebook
The video examined a 2025 payslip belonging to a ward councillor serving in a non-metropolitan municipality. The councillor was elected in 2021.
In South Africa, a ward councillor is an elected local government representative who represents residents in a specific area within a municipality. Xaba noted that councillors serving in metropolitan municipalities generally earn higher rates.
Breakdown of a South African ward councillor’s salary
The payslip showed that the councillor received a basic monthly salary of R17,537.69 (about KSh 105,226).
The councillor also received allowances for cellphone use and transport, bringing the total monthly earnings before deductions to R26,783.59 (about KSh 160,701).
The breakdown was as follows:
Salary component | Amount in rand | Equivalent in KSh |
Basic salary | R17,537.69 | KSh 105,226 |
Cellphone allowance | R3,400.00 | KSh 20,400 |
Car allowance | R5,845.90 | KSh 35,075 |
Total gross earnings | R26,783.59 | KSh 160,701 |
The cellphone allowance helps cover communication costs, while the car allowance contributes towards transport-related expenses.
How much does the councillor take home?
Although the councillor’s gross monthly earnings were R26,783.59, the payslip showed total deductions of R8,260.91 (about KSh 49,565).
The deductions included:
Deduction | Amount in rand | Equivalent in KSh |
PAYE income tax | R2,473.38 | KSh 14,840 |
Political party levy | R438.44 | KSh 2,631 |
Pension contribution | R5,042.09 | KSh 30,253 |
Total deductions | R8,260.91 | KSh 49,565 |
PAYE stands for Pay As You Earn, South Africa’s system for deducting income tax from employment earnings. The pension contribution goes towards retirement savings, while the party levy is a contribution to the councillor’s political party.
After the deductions, the councillor’s net monthly pay was R18,522.68 (about KSh 111,136).
Watch Boni Xaba break down the ward councillor's salary in the Facebook reel below:
Netizens react to councillor’s earnings
The payslip breakdown attracted comments from social media users, with some questioning the allowances and others discussing the differences between councillors’ salaries and the benefits associated with public office.
@Sandile Xolani Mpanza: "But they drive Land Cruisers ukuthi kanjani asazi (how, we don't know)."
@Arshad Cassim: "Car allowance is more than double a teacher's housing allowance."
@Mahlatse Nawi Mohlape wrote: "Don't forget kickbacks, monies formerly known as cold drink."
@Siphamandla Jali: "Being a councillor has benefits of corruption; they get a lot of money on top of that salary."
@Lusanda Lusey Mbali: "They kill each other for R18k net, and a five-year contract?"
@Polaki Mahlase: "Municipalities don't pay the same; it depends on the grading of the municipality."
The comments reflected differing views on councillors’ earnings, allowances and the financial benefits of serving in local government.
African teacher in Shanghai earns nearly KSh 940,000 monthly
TUKO.co.ke reported that content creator Boni Xaba shared a payslip showing how much an African teacher working in Shanghai, China, earns monthly.
The breakdown included basic salary, housing and teaching allowances, bonuses and overtime pay.
The figures sparked debate online, with viewers questioning whether the earnings reflected typical teacher salaries in China.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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