Morocco Leads Africa with Highest Average Monthly Salary, Study Finds

With $2,031, Morocco tops the list of the 10 African countries offering the best average monthly salary, according to a study conducted and published in July 2023 by Statista and Salary Explorer. It is followed by South Africa, which offers an average monthly salary of $2,026. Then come Tunisia ($1,348), Kenya ($1,291) and Algeria ($1,273). Namibia is in 6th place with an average monthly salary of $1,168. It is followed by Botswana ($1,000) and Nigeria ($814). Ghana ($748) and Uganda ($738) close the podium.

The Salary Explorer study focuses on two major indices, namely "minimum wage" and "average salary". The pollsters calculated the average salaries from the respondents’ comments, adding up the salary samples, before dividing them by the number of respondents. According to the study, the minimum wage is the lowest salary a worker can earn in a given country. The law, however, prohibits employers from paying their employees below the minimum wage.

The study also reveals disparities. In South Africa, only 10% of the population holds more than 80% of the wealth. In its neighbors, Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho, women generally earn 38% less than men, according to combined World Bank statistics.