What execs in SA earn

South Africa’s CEOs were granted a far less impressive wage increase last year, according to consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The company released its annual executive director report this week, which included an assessment of executive pay trends. Big listed companies “continue to exercise caution when considering the pay levels of their CEO and executive committee members”, it said.

The top 25% of CEOs of JSE-listed companies were granted an average increase of 7.7% and took home an average guaranteed package of R7.14 million. The median CEO raise was only 4.8%, resulting in a package of R4.13 million.

Chief financial officers did far better last year. The top quarter of them got an average hike of 9%, giving them an average package of R4.19 million.

Top executive directors in general got an average hike of 8.4%. The bottom quarter (worst-paid executives) all earned increases below inflation, which was 6.1% last year, said PwC.

For bottom-of-the-barrel CEOs, the average increase was 2.1%, giving them an average package of R3 million, while chief financial officers at mid-range listed companies got 3.5%, to earn about R2 million.

All of this compares badly with 2013, when top CEOs and chief financial officers were granted increases of 11% or more.

R122m: Alan Clark – SABMiller

R118m: Nicandro – Durante BAT

R89.8m: Andrew Mackenzie – BHP Billiton

R87.2m: Julian Roberts – Old Mutual

R85m: Mark Cutifani – Anglo American

R63.1m: Simon Crutchley – AVI

R53.7m: David Constable – Sasol

R50m: Whitey Basson – Shoprite

R63m: Ian Hawksworth – Capco

R49m: Sifiso Dabengwa – MTN