“Rank Doesn’t Matter”: Woman Shows Correctional Officer’s Surprisingly Low Salary

• Social media content creator Boni Xaba received and revealed the payslip of a local correctional officer
• The person noted that the ranks in the profession, compared to the salary they received, do not matter
• South Africans in the comment section were in shock after seeing the little money the person earned

On 16 October, 2025, content creator Boni Xaba from Lifereset with Boni shared a screenshot of a payslip she had received from an anonymous correctional officer. While such a profession holds much importance in many people's eyes, it came as a surprise to see what the person went home with after deductions.

Boni started the video by saying:

"They said I must tell you that the rank doesn't matter. They have 13 years of work experience and have progressed to salary level CB1-2."

The person, who also had a higher certificate in human resources, earned a basic salary of R21 813.50 and received a standard danger allowance of R680, R900 for housing rental, and R1 073 for GEHS individual savings. The gross salary came to R24 528.15. The deductions took quite a chunk of change, totalling R13 710.25, leaving the person with a net salary of R10 817.90.

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According to the salary information portal Payscale, the average salary for a correctional officer in South Africa is R200 912 for 2025.

Correctional officer's payslip shocks the internet

Many South African social media users headed to the comment section to share their surprise after seeing the person's payslip. Several members of the online community blamed the government for the low salary.

A grateful @nyangiyesintu shared under the post:

"Thank God they did not hire me. I was never going to cope with these peanuts. R10 000, yoh, that's horrible."

@user664100913456, who disagreed with the discussion about rankings, said:

"Ranks always matter. It means better pay in all the security services."

@modie_hi noted their opinion in the comments:

"I've seen a fair share of payslips from DCS, and yes, they are not paid well, despite rank and experience."

@phakisojacob also gave their opinion, writing:

"He or she must indicate how many dependants are on their medical aid. This is the reason the deduction is high."

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@mrmdlalosesir, who assumed the person was a man, told the online community:

"Sadly, the degree won't count either unless he gets a job in HR."

A frustrated @qu1n7on added in the comment section:

"Now you see us government employees get highly taxed, and yes, we do pay taxes. So stop telling us you're paying our salaries (your tax is not even a drop in the government's coffers). Some of us are paying more tax than you in the private sector. After deductions, we really aren't left with much. And yes, some of us have a PhD, too, but on lower ranks and levels."

Watch the TikTok video on Boni's account below:

3 Other stories about payslips

• In another article, Briefly News reported that a tax consultant's payslip sparked a national debate after revealing their shocking earnings. The clip left viewers reflecting on the importance of financial transparency.
• A TikTok video showed the payslip of a traffic officer in the Western Cape, quickly drawing online attention. The payslip showed some perks and deductions.
• The payslip of an experienced attorney surprised many South Africans after they saw the balance between big earnings and heavy deductions. Boni, who shared the video, was praised for opening conversations about income realities.

Source: Briefly News