S/Africa Unveils $260 A Month Minimum Wage - Much Higher Than That Of Nigeria

The South African government has unveiled a national minimum wage of 3,500 rand ($261) per month in 2018, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday.

According to Reuters, the announcement follows protracted negotiations between the government and labour unions.

The Deputy President also added that the national minimum wage, which equates to 20 rand ($1.50) per hour, would come into effect in May 2018.

Meanwhile, the announcement is coming at a time when Africa’s most popular nation, Nigeria, is battling to raise its own minimum wage as it has been gorged in the abysmal depth of an economic crisis.

The country’s current minimum wage stands at N18,000 ($60) with organised labour demanding that it be increased to at least N50,000 ($166), even though several states and local governments have ‘continuously’ defaulted on the existing amount.

The Nigerian government has failed to accede to the demand of labour in the wake of a biting recession that has crippled Africa’s largest economy.