South Africa is one of Africa’s most generous countries for sick pay, ranking second only to Egypt and leaving most other African nations far behind in supporting employees during their first week of leave.
This is according to a study conducted by Moorepay, which found that South African workers receive R1,863 for their first week of sick leave, or about $251 in international terms, showing the country’s comparatively generous approach to employee support.
Moorepay is a UK-based company that provides payroll and HR solutions. The research included 113 countries worldwide and compared statutory sick pay using international dollars to account for local purchasing power.
“The study found that statutory sick pay in South Africa is among the most generous in Africa. Employees receive 1,863.29 ZAR for the first week of sick leave or Intl $251.29, when the local cost of living is taken into account.
“To determine which nations offer the best and worst compensation rates, the team manually researched mandatory sick pay laws in each country, then calculated the amount of sick pay an employee would receive for the first five working days of sick leave. To make a realistic comparison, they converted these figures into international dollars applying World Bank Price Parity exchange rates.”
According to the research, only Egypt offers more, while nations such as Tunisia, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo provide far less. The study also found that countries with higher salaries generally offer more generous sick pay, while nations with lower wages often provide minimal support.
IOL Business
