“I Was Earning R50k”: Electrical Engineer Gets Candid About 6 Years of Unemployment
- A qualified electrical engineer opened up about being unemployed for six years after earning over R50,000 per month
- The man shared his pay slip from January 2018, showing he earned R50,854 that month and paid R12,278 in tax alone
- South Africans were touched by his story, with some sharing their experiences of unemployment
Source: TikTok
One man shared his story about being unemployed for six years after earning a comfortable salary. The man got candid about his situation in a video that had South Africans talking about the harsh reality of unemployment in the country. He didn't hold back, sharing details of his old pay slips on 1 November 2025 and explaining how he's surviving now with nothing.
The man discussed how he was fired in December 2019, and his last pay slip was from 31 January 2018. At that time, his basic salary was R32,361, but with overtime, he earned R50,854 that month. Out of that, his total deductions came to R23,028, with his tax being R12,278. His net pay was R27,825. He remembers earning even more in some months, sometimes R60,000 or R70,000, depending on overtime, and paying over R15,000 in tax.
The man stated that he had everything back then. His medical aid cost almost R4,000 per month, with the company contributing half. His retirement fund had the company putting in R4,200 monthly. He had a company car, full access to do his job, and bonuses twice a year that brought in over R100,000. He stated that he was the supervisor, a skilled artisan with over 25 years of experience in engineering, including over 20 years as a qualified electrician. He had his trade test, his wireman's licence, and experience in construction, welding, oil and gas, fabrication and plumbing.
Now, six years later, the man has no retirement fund, no medical aid, and no income. TikTok user @selwinclivelangto explained that he's turned to spirituality to cope. There are days when he goes 36 to 48 hours without eating, just drinking tap water with a bit of salt.
Source: TikTok
Mzansi reacts to the unemployment story
South Africans flooded the comments with support and questions about the man's situation:
@nompendulo_nompendulo shared:
"Unemployment made me turn to Christ."
@nicolette asked:
"So in 6 years you can't find employment? Why did you get fired?"
@ndivhu_dau wondered:
"How are you coping?"
@bongani_nondudule suggested:
"Try applying in other provinces. Even in municipalities or government."
@fernd related:
"I was making around R70,000, paying around R18,000 on tax per month. It's been 4 years unemployed."
@hnk_deals_investment_cc advised:
"Just go out and look for any job. Don't dwell on what you lost."
@pitori_rider pointed out:
"15k is a soldier's take-home. Tax is killing us, really."
Watch the TikTok clip below:
Other unemployed people in South Africa
- Briefly News recently reported on a graduate who opened up about the hard part of unemployment.
- A woman shared that an unemployed man wanted his wife to buy him a bakkie that surpassed her salary.
- A 24-year-old unemployed single mother with two kids moved out of her family home into a shack, and the video of her setup touched South Africans.
Source: Briefly News
