Data shows extremely large pay gaps and poor leadership diversity in JSE-listed wholesale and retail sector

Loading player...
GUEST – Kwanele Ngogela – Just Share senior inequality analyst

The average lowest paid worker in the wholesale and retail sector would need to work for 21 months to earn what an average CEO in this sector earns in one day.

New research by Just Share looks at ten JSE-listed companies in the wholesale and retail space, based on analysis of these companies’ most recent public disclosures. The research highlights significant pay gaps and poor levels of diversity at the board and management level.

Shoprite Holdings, Pick n Pay, Pepkor Holdings, The Foschini Group, Woolworths, Mr Price Group, Dis-Chem, Clicks Group, Truworths International, and Spar Group together employ 389,766 full-time employees and account for R833.7 billion in yearly revenue. Overall, the wholesale and retail sector is the second-largest employer in South Africa after government, employing about 17% of the workforce.

The sector’s performance on gender and racial diversity at board and top management levels is mixed, with disappointingly low targets set by several of the companies analysed here.
11 Sep 2024 2PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Reading South Africa's Economic Pulse

South Africa's economic activity weakened again in October, but there are emerging signs that pressure on households and businesses may begin to ease. Independent economist Elize Kruger unpacks the latest PayInc Economic Index, the fuel price outlook, consumer behaviour, business confidence and the key economic trends to watch heading into…
11 Nov 12PM 10 min

EasyEquities' Next Growth Chapter

Charles Savage, CEO of Purple Group, joins Kaya Biz following another year of expected double-digit earnings growth. The conversation explores the power of platform scale, the evolution of EasyEquities, the R100 billion client asset milestone, AI, international growth ambitions and the future of retail investing.
11 Nov 12PM 15 min

Dipula Properties Delivers Fy’2026 Distributable Earnings jump of 22%

Dipula Properties delivered earnings growth ahead of guidance while aggressively reshaping its portfolio through acquisitions, disposals and a deeper focus on retail and industrial property. CEO Izak Petersen joins Kaya Biz to discuss the company's expansion strategy, the outlook for listed property, and why convenience retail remains central to its…
11 Nov 12PM 19 min

Premier Bakes H1’2026 Operating Profit Surge Of 52.5%

Premier FMCG reported a strong set of interim results, with earnings growth, expanding margins and early benefits emerging from its acquisition of RFG Holdings. CEO Kobus Gertenbach discusses integration progress, consumer spending trends, commodity price dynamics and how Premier plans to sustain growth as it scales into a larger and…
10 Nov 12PM 16 min

South Africa’s Construction Capacity Question

South Africa is betting heavily on infrastructure to drive economic growth, yet concerns remain about project delays, contractor failures, skills shortages and shrinking industry capacity. We speak to Tshidiso Lekgetho, Acting Registrar of the SACPCMP, about the real state of the construction sector, the importance of professionalisation and accountability, and…
10 Nov 11AM 18 min