"They're Paid Well": SA Gent's Breakdown of Why Cops Take Bribes Sparks TikTok Debate
- SA TikToker Shaheed posted a video arguing that low police salaries are a root cause of bribery and corruption in South Africa
- Shaheed claimed entry-level cops earn between R12,000 and R15,000 a month, while soldiers start at as little as R8,000
- The video sparked heated debate online, with many viewers saying the argument made sense while others pushed back
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Source: TikTok
A South African TikToker sparked a lively online debate after sharing his take on why SAPS officers and SANDF soldiers in the country end up taking bribes or getting involved in crime.
Shaheed, who posts under the handle @shaheed.eximious, uploaded the video on 17 August 2026 with a caption that cut straight to the point: “Starting cops get R12,000 a month. That’s barely survival money. How do we trust people with our safety when we don’t even pay them enough to live?”
What Shaheed said about police pay
In the clip, Shaheed argued that a new police officer earns between R12,000 and R15,000 a month. He pointed out that in today’s South Africa, that amount barely covers rent, food, and transport. For soldiers, the situation is reportedly even tighter, with entry-level military personnel earning between R8,000 and R12,000 a month.
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According to South Africa’s Department of Public Service and Administration, public sector salary bands are publicly gazetted, and lower-ranked officers do fall within the salary ranges Shaheed cited. His argument was not that low pay excuses corruption, but that it creates conditions where it thrives. He added that crime costs South Africa up to R200 billion a year, making a modest pay increase for frontline officers a far cheaper investment than absorbing the ongoing economic damage of crime.
The fix he proposed
Shaheed suggested that better salaries would produce two outcomes: officers would have more to lose by risking their jobs over a small bribe, and improved pay packets would attract stronger candidates to the profession, making law enforcement harder for criminals to influence from within.
Watch Shaheed’s full breakdown below:
Mzansi reacts to the salary debate
South Africans flooded the comments section with a range of views:
@mphomahlangu012:
“They are paid well. 4 days in 4 days out, not a bad salary at all.🤞🏾”
@just_another02:
“Man, you actually make a lot of sense. 😳”
@kelebogile_Luciano:
“They only need Matric to join, that money is good.🎡”
@Itcanonlybeme:
“My brother, I get attacked for saying this. Why would someone put their life at risk just to earn R15k? That is absolute insanity.”
More stories involving bribes
- A Reddit post asking what the world thinks of South Africa went viral in January 2026, drawing hundreds of opinions from people across the globe.
- Former National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s bribery and money laundering proceedings have officially begun at the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria.
- Nomvula Mokonyane weighed in on rumours that Dr Patrice Motsepe was campaigning to be the next African National Congress (ANC) president.
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Source: Briefly News
