“Salaries Can’t Provide”: Pretoria Man Explains Cost of Living Crisis As R21k Salary Not Enough

• A Pretoria content creator broke down how salaries haven't kept up with the rising cost of living in South Africa over the past 15 years
• The TikTok video explained how difficult it is for families to cover basic expenses like school fees, food, housing, and electricity on R21,000 per month
• South Africans shared their own salary struggles in the comments, with some earning as little as R8,000 or R14,800 after working for the same company for nearly two decades

A Pretoria content creator has sparked widespread discussion about South Africa's cost-of-living crisis after explaining how current salaries can no longer support families the way they used to.

TikTok user @quintisjacobs, who regularly discusses political and economic issues affecting South Africans, shared the eye-opening video on 1 September 2025 with the caption:

"Salaries can't provide for families anymore."

The graphic designer broke down a comparison showing that R21,224 earned today has the same purchasing power as R10,000 did in 2009. He explained that if someone's salary hasn't grown by more than 112% over the past 14 years, their real purchasing power has actually declined significantly.

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In the viral video, which gained over 30,000 views, the content creator listed the basic expenses that families need to cover: car insurance, medical aid, school fees for two or three children, housing, fuel, food, clothing, and electricity. He acknowledged that living on R21,000 is possible, but brought attention to how tight the budget becomes when trying to cover all these necessities for an entire family.

The Pretoria man pointed out that R10,000 could stretch much further in 2009 compared to what R21,000 can achieve today. He urged viewers to make their money work for them rather than the other way around.

SA reacts to salary struggles

@user1139969332309 shared their difficult situation:

"Try R8000 basic in 2025 for a 58-year-old."

@hermanduploesrevealed his long-term struggle:

"I've been with a company now for 18 years, and my basic salary is R14800. No pension, no medical aid help from the employer. Did not receive a raise from COVID."

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@nashmanjaro compared the past to the present:

"So true, in the year 2000, my bro was earning R4200, he bought a house in a very good suburb and he was living large."

@jc related to the employment challenges:

"Earning 15k a few years ago was hard enough to live off. Yet the employers are shocked when you resign."

@lootszz highlighted the ongoing problem:

"Yes, the sad part is if you don't get a proper increase per year, you are getting poorer every year."

Cost of living crisis hits hard

According to experts on Insurance.co.za, South Africa's poorest families are facing huge challenges due to rising costs. The inflation rate has jumped to 11.3% for the poorest households, much higher than the national average of 6.8%. Basic needs like food, fuel, and electricity have become too expensive for many families, forcing them to choose between essential items.

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A woman's clip of a Western Cape traffic officer’s payslip had South Africans debating salaries

The average cost of simple goods has increased by 11% from December 2022 to June 2024, with home loan repayments now costing 40% more than three years ago. South African households now spend R143,691 yearly on food consumption alone, with the average household food basket climbing to R5,348.65. Electricity costs have risen by 450% since 2020, adding massive pressure to family budgets already stretched thin by rising prices across all sectors.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

3 Other stories about SA's economy

• Briefly News recently reported on a Pretoria man who shared devastating statistics about South Africa's economic decline, but the youth unemployment figures he revealed had Mzansi expressing pure anger at the government's failures.
• A South African nurse working in America explained why she takes on double shifts multiple times per week, but her honest reason for working so hard compared to back home surprised everyone who watched her video.
• An attorney's payslip showing nine years of experience sparked heated discussions online, but the balance between his big earnings and heavy deductions revealed something unexpected about professional salaries in South Africa.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News