Cayman Islands South Africa

Updated 2026-05-04

Cayman Islands

Minimum Wage

$8.75 /hr

$10.50 USD

South Africa

Minimum Wage

R30.23 /hr

$1.86 USD

Avg. Gross Salary

R26,500 /mo

Min wage: +465% Cayman Islands vs South Africa

The minimum wage in the Cayman Islands is roughly 6 times higher than in South Africa in USD terms, reflecting the gap between a high-income and a upper-middle-income economy.

Detailed Comparison

Detailed wage comparison between Cayman Islands and South Africa
Metric	Cayman Islands	South Africa	Diff
Minimum wage /hr	$8.75 $10.50	R30.23 $1.86	+464.6%
Minimum wage /mo	$1,516.67 $1,820.08	R5,239.87 $322.38	+464.6%
Minimum wage /yr	$18,200 $21,840.87	R62,878.40 $3,868.58	+464.6%
Avg. gross salary /mo	N/A/mo	R26,500 /mo $1,630.41	—
Avg. net salary /mo	N/A/mo	R21,500 /mo $1,322.78	—
Median individual income /yr	N/A/yr	R72,000 /yr $4,429.79	—

Percentage differences are based on USD equivalent values. Positive means Cayman Islands is higher.

Work Week

Cayman Islands: 40 hrs/wk standard

Max 48 hrs/wk

Overtime : 1.5x pay

Standard workweek is 40 hours under the Labour Act.
South Africa: 45 hrs/wk standard

Max 45 hrs/wk

Overtime : 1.5x pay

Basic Conditions of Employment Act sets maximum ordinary hours at 45 per week (9 hrs/day for 5-day week, or 8 hrs/day for 6-day week). Overtime maximum of 10 additional hours per week. Overtime rate is 1.5x; Sunday/public holiday work is 2x.

• WAGE TRAJECTORY (USD/hr)

Cayman Islands South Africa Source: wage.is · USD equivalent/hr

Year	Cayman Islands (USD)	South Africa (USD)
2016	$7.20/hr	—
2019	—	$1.23/hr
2020	—	$1.28/hr
2021	—	$1.33/hr
2022	—	$1.43/hr
2023	—	$1.56/hr
2024	—	$1.70/hr
2025	—	$1.77/hr
2026	$11/hr	$1.86/hr

What This Means for Workers

A minimum wage worker moving from South Africa to the Cayman Islands would see a 465% increase in USD-equivalent hourly earnings. Standard work weeks differ: the Cayman Islands mandates 40 hours while South Africa mandates 45 hours. A minimum wage worker's weekly earnings in the Cayman Islands are $420 vs $84 in South Africa.

See this comparison from South Africa's perspective: South Africa vs Cayman Islands

Compare Cayman Islands with...

Cayman Islands vs United States $ 7.25 /hr

Cayman Islands vs China ¥ 25 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Germany € 13.9 /hr

Cayman Islands vs United Kingdom £ 12.71 /hr

Cayman Islands vs India ₹ 4,576 /mo

Cayman Islands vs Japan ¥ 1,121 /hr

Cayman Islands vs France € 12.02 /hr

Cayman Islands vs South Korea ₩ 10,320 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Canada C$ 18.1 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Australia A$ 24.95 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Brazil R$ 7.37 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Russia ₽ 156.31 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Mexico MX$ 9,583.52 /mo

Cayman Islands vs Netherlands € 14.71 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Saudi Arabia ﷼ 23.08 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Turkey ₺ 164.94 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Switzerland

Cayman Islands vs Poland zł 31.4 /hr

Cayman Islands vs Sweden

Cayman Islands vs Singapore

Cayman Islands vs Norway

Cayman Islands vs Austria

Cayman Islands vs Denmark

Cayman Islands vs Israel ₪ 35.4 /hr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the minimum wage higher in Cayman Islands or South Africa?

In the Cayman Islands, the minimum wage is $8.75/hr ($10.50 USD). In South Africa, it is R30.23/hr ($1.86 USD). Cayman Islands has the higher rate by 465% in USD terms. That nominal gap does not account for local prices; see the purchasing power comparison below for a cost-of-living-adjusted view. Workers in South Africa may retain a larger share of their earnings if prices there are lower.

How do work hours compare between Cayman Islands and South Africa?

South Africa has a longer standard work week at 45 hours, compared to 40 hours in the Cayman Islands. Workers in the Cayman Islands work 40 hours per week by law. Longer mandatory hours can offset a nominally higher wage; a worker in the Cayman Islands working fewer hours may have comparable or better effective hourly earnings depending on the wage levels of each country. Total annual compensation depends on both the wage rate and the number of hours required.