“These People Work Hard”: Social Worker Grade 2 Salary Breakdown Leaves SA Stunned
- A viral Facebook reel by salary reviewer Boni Xaba broke down the payslip of a Grade 2 Social Worker based in Gauteng
- The social worker's gross earnings came to over R37,000, but total deductions of nearly R23,000 left a take-home pay of R14,223
- South Africans who watched the video were outraged, saying social workers deserve far better pay for the work they do
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Source: Facebook
A salary breakdown video posted online is stirring up strong feelings across South Africa. Facebook user Boni Xaba, a social media personality who regularly reviews payslips, shared a reel on 6 August 2026 unpacking the monthly earnings of a Grade 2 Social Worker employed in Gauteng.
The Social Worker salary breakdown
The payslip showed a basic salary of R35,085.00, with a housing allowance pushing the gross total to R37,122.28. What left viewers speechless was the deduction column. A combined total of R22,899.20, covering tax, pension, medical aid and a R7,300 Standard Bank home bond repayment, reduced the worker's take-home pay to just R14,223.08 a month.
Boni herself appeared shocked as she went through the numbers, but many in the comments section felt the problem ran deeper than the deductions.
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Watch the payslip breakdown that shocked South Africa in the Facebook reel below:
Social workers deserve better pay, say Mzansi viewers
For South Africans watching the video, the outrage was not just about how much was deducted from the salary. It was about how little the pay amount was for someone doing one of the most demanding jobs in the country. Social workers deal with child protection cases, family crises, abuse and poverty daily, and many viewers felt the pay did not come close to reflecting that reality.
User @Nosipho Ngwenya said:
"Social workers should be earning more than psychologists."
User @Gretchen Meyer wrote:
"Non-government social workers earn way less than. It is sad."
User @Njabulo T Shange commented:
"Show us an entry-level. These people work hard."
User @Bonita Maboeta added:
"Social workers must earn more."
User @Mandyg Blackdiamond Charles said:
"Such peanuts for Grade 2."
User @Duds Du Masdu pointed out:
"Tell them to come to the UK; take-home is £3000 a month, that's R66 000."
3 Briefly News salary-related articles
- A South African woman shared that out of the R65K gross salary, she was left with R7K every month, which made her decision to leave the company easy.
- A 33-year-old father of three had social media users abuzz after flexing his R100K total income, joining a viral TikTok salary trend where locals flex their earnings.
- A 28-year-old mother of one joined a viral online challenge, revealing she was single and earning R4800, and Mzansi advised her to remain single and focus on getting a better-paying job.
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Source: Briefly News
