CEOs, CFOs and credit risk chiefs top South Africa’s pay rankings in 2026

Anja Bates, head of data at Pnet.

The stats come from an analysis of thousands of vacancies posted across the company’s online recruitment platforms. The full report offers salary ranges for more than 100 roles across 11 different job sectors, helping employers and professionals make informed decisions in a fast-changing labour market.

Based on cost-to-company per month, the advertised salary ranges for these roles are as follows*:

Says Anja Bates, head of data at Pnet: “Securing a highly-paid role is all about plotting a long-term destination for your career. Finance and management remain the highest paid sectors, with the top jobs going to individuals who have invested in their educations and amassed the experience and skills to stand out in a competitive job market.”

Here is an overview of each of the top three highest-paying roles and the qualifications and attributes needed to secure one of these positions:

• CEO: As the most senior executive in an organisation, the CEO has ultimate responsibility for strategic direction, company performance and business leadership. Most CEOs have industry-relevant or commerce degrees and often have Master of Business Administration degrees or other post-graduate qualifications. To succeed as a CEO, you need vision, the ability to make good decisions under pressure, excellent stakeholder management skills and financial and commercial acumen.

• CFO: This role heads financial strategy, reporting, risk management and capital allocation. CFOs will usually be Chartered Accountants (CA(SA)) as well as have extensive experience in finance leadership roles and strong exposure to corporate governance. They need to have financial acumen, commercial insight, expert compliance knowledge and the ability to assess and manage risks.

• Executive manager - credit risk: This role oversees credit risk strategy, lending policies and portfolio management. It is in high demand in the financial services sector. Most of these professionals will have a relevant finance, economics or risk management degree, plus experience in credit risk or financial analytics leadership. They will be experts in compliance and risk analysis.

CEOs and CFOs at the top JSE-listed companies and larger government entities may earn even more than the averages in the data, especially when bonuses and share options are counted.

If you are a junior or mid-level professional aiming to join the ranks of the elite earners, Bates recommends studying job ads on platforms like Pnet to understand the qualifications, skills and experience organisations are seeking. This will help you to map out an education and career progression that will help you achieve your goals.

“In addition to formal education and climbing the career ladder, there are other ways to improve your value to potential employers,” she adds. “Showing and developing skills such as accountability, leadership and collaboration will help you stand out. It is also important to invest in continuous learning through short courses, seminars and professional certifications.”

*The three roles are a subset of the executive manager / director role in the Salary Guide report. The figures are national averages with some level of divergence across different provinces. The numbers reflect the advertised package, not the final compensation the successful candidates may have negotiated.