Cyril Ramaphosa

Photo by Gallo Images / Sowetan / Mduduzi Ndzingi

Cyril Ramaphosa tops chart of leaders earning more than their citizens

By earning almost 20 times more than the average wage of a South African, Cyril Ramaphosa has come top of an eye-opening survey.

Cyril Ramaphosa

Photo by Gallo Images / Sowetan / Mduduzi Ndzingi

Wealth inequality in South Africa is one of the biggest blemishes on the country’s image. So when it comes to comparing the wage of Cyril Ramaphosa with the average Joe, it might not be a surprise to know we are actually responsible for the biggest difference in the world.

The research team at Adzuna compared the annual salaries of leaders from 45 nations with the average income of their population. Cyril took the uncoveted top spot, earning 19 times more than the common person.

How much money does Cyril Ramaphosa make?

Ramaphosa is said to make R3.4 million every year. The average wage for a South African over a 12-month period is R181 000, showing just how far the gap is between the elite and the working classes.

The study, which took 45 countries into account, threw up some surprising numbers. As Ben Phillips reports, billionaire Donald Trump only comes in at number 15, and although he makes R5.5 million a year from his job, it’s only six-and-half-times more than the average wage in the States.

Singapore’s President Lee Hsien Loong gets paid an eye-watering R22 million. This is, by a wide margin, the most of any out of him and his peers. Yet he isn’t the front-runner in this category, due to the country’s financial health.

The average wage tops R1.26 million, and we are afraid Loong is just going to have to settle for second on this one. Ram Nath Kovind (India), Vladimir Putin (Russia) and Juan Orlando Hernandez (Honduras) complete the top five. Here’s a comprehensive look at the biggest earners, relatively speaking:

Top 10: The gap between presidential salaries and the average wage

1. Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa: R3.4 million, 19 times the national average

2. Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore: R22 million, 17 times the national average.

3. Ram Nath Kovind, India: R1.12 million, 11.5 times the national average.

4. Vladimir Putin, Russia: R3.9 million, 11 times the national average.

5. Juan Orlando Hernandez, Honduras: R597 000, nine times the national average.

6. Joko Widodo, Indonesia: R1.35 million, 8.2 times the national average.

7. Sebastian Pinera, Chile: R2.65 million, eight times the national average.

8. Hun Sen, Cambodia: R410 000, 7.72 times the national average

9. Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand: R4.26 million, 7.7 times the national average.

10. Kersti Kaljulaid, Estonia: R3.3 million, 7.6 times the national average.

Another end of the spectrum

Meanwhile, there are plenty of leaders who are living “within the means” of their people. Xi Jinping of China claims just R277 000 a year, which is only 17% more than the average Chinese worker makes.

Nguyen Phuc doesn’t give his last name about a big payday. The Vietnamese leader only takes home a salary of R120 000 annually for his work, just 33% more than the standard wage.

Meanwhile, Croatia’s Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic (you may remember from the World Cup) is the only other world leader surveyed who earns less than twice the national median. She receives R630 000, which is 83% of the Croatian average.

You can see the full table here.