"Diabolical": SA Woman Stunned After Being Offered Low Salary for Full-Time Job

• Alessandra Papanicolaou shared a screenshot of an HR email offering her R5,000 per month for a full-time Monday-to-Friday position
• The offer sparked outrage online, with many South Africans saying the salary does not cover basic monthly expenses like rent and transport
• Commenters revealed similar experiences, including one woman who earned R4,500 per month as a qualified paralegal

A South African woman left the internet speechless after sharing a job offer that paid just R5,000 a month for a full-time position.

Alessandra Papanicolaou, who posts on TikTok as @alessandradoesstuff, posted a screenshot of an email exchange with a company's HR department on 22 August 2026. In the clip, she confirms with HR whether the R5,000 monthly figure is correct for a full-time role. The HR representative replied to confirm that yes, the position runs Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, for R5,000 a month. Her caption described her reaction as "flummoxed" and "flabbergasted," and South Africans online clearly felt the same.

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The offer works out to roughly R27.77 per hour for a standard nine-hour working day. For many South Africans, that figure does not even begin to cover the basics. Transport costs, rent, and food alone can exceed the salary before a single bill is paid.

The video by @alessandradoesstuff struck a nerve because it tapped into a well-known reality in the South African job market: employers offering poverty-level wages for demanding, full-time roles, often with the expectation that job seekers will accept just to gain experience. Watch the moment Alessandra shared the offer that left the internet speechless:

Mzansi reacts to low salary

South Africans flooded the comments section with a mix of disbelief and solidarity:

@jade_wp wrote:

"That's R27.77/hr what the hell 😭"

@Dylan said:

"People will say you must take it just for the experience. And if you leave to go somewhere else, they will barely increase your salary"

@t_sims shared:

"R5K? My transport for the month is already R3K! My rent is R6.5K HOW! This is diabolical."

@Michaela❤️ revealed:

"When I was a paralegal (with a BCom Law degree, and busy with my LLB), I was paid 4.5k p/m for a full time in person position, not to"

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Other Briefly News stories about salaries

• The realities of surviving on a salary below R17,000 in South Africa sparked a debate, thanks to Twitter user Meshack Bevhula’s provocative post.
• A TikTok creator listed the five degrees that lead to the lowest starting salaries for South African graduates, with a BA in humanities and religious studies topping the list.
• Facts about the slight nominal pay increase for South African salary earners in June 2026, juxtaposed with the relentless inflation that is eroding their real income.

Source: Briefly News