“They Earn More Than Teachers”: Salary Reveal of Informal Rubbish Collectors Leaves SA Divided

• South Africa's waste-reclaiming industry has exposed a dramatic income gap between formal municipal workers and informal bin pickers
• Most informal reclaimers earn modest weekly wages, but specialised collectors targeting high-value items like e-waste can pull in impressive figures
• The salary breakdown sparked a wave of reactions online, with many South Africans stunned by how much bin pickers can earn

South Africa's waste management industry is hiding a surprising income story. A recent breakdown shared on Instagram by @businesstechsa on 6 September 2026 revealed just how wide the earnings gap is between formal municipal waste workers and the country's informal reclaimers, popularly known as bin pickers.

Formal municipal waste collectors receive a dependable basic salary of R10 616.38 per month along with full employment benefits. According to BusinessTech, informal waste pickers face wildly fluctuating incomes, with most earning modest weekly wages between R300 and R600 (under R2 400 a month). However, specialised reclaimers who target high-value materials like e-waste can make up to R7 000 per week—translating to a staggering R28 000 a month, which surpasses South Africa's national average formal salary of R26 894.

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When Knowledge Becomes Income

For most bin pickers, the weekly income remains low. But those who specialise, particularly collectors who focus on high-value materials like e-waste and use their local knowledge to target the right areas, can earn figures that rival formal employees. According to the post, some of these specialised reclaimers can actually out-earn the average formal sector salary in South Africa.

The PRO Alliance, which advocates for waste pickers' integration into the formal economy, has long highlighted the economic contribution of informal reclaimers, who divert significant volumes of recyclable material from landfills while earning a living on the margins.

See the Instagram post that got Mzansi talking below:

Mzansi reacts to the salary breakdown

South Africans online were divided but largely impressed. Many pointed out that the figures challenge common assumptions about education and income.

@fkayy_xo said:

"Yoh earning more than people who went to university to get degrees."

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@fatimah hunter wrote:

"They work hard for this and walk long distances."

@becca_tuesday pointed out:

"They earn more than most teachers."

@nj_nigel added:

"The moral of the story is that there are jobs out there, and bin picker is one of them, and you can make some good money 😂."

@kim.shields said:

"Good for them 🙌!"

@thezulutomcruise shared:

"I need to reconsider my career. They out-earn me! Plus I'm taxed! This country is a joke for real."

3 More articles about salaries

• A South African tech professional's payslip exposed a staggering R42,000 monthly tax deduction on an R128,000 salary, shocking many social media users.
• Briefly News reported that content creator Boni Xaba shared the payslip of a Zimbabwean network support technician with nearly a decade of experience, revealing a net pay of approximately R26,000.
• Boni Xaba sparked intense online debate after reviewing the payslip of a veteran Border Management Authority immigration officer with 20 years of service, revealing a net monthly take-home pay of R17,000.

Source: Briefly News