Did you know that African leaders are among the highest earners in the world? Typically, politicians or leaders in different countries have different ways of making big bucks in the form of benefits, perks, and base salary.
Although some think many world leaders, including African leaders, should be paid incredible salaries for their dedication, perseverance and hard work. Some others believe that African leaders earn extra money by doing nothing.
Not only do they enjoy convenient power, they also enjoy extreme wealth. In reality, politicians should at least be fair, objective and fully committed to their work in the service of their nation.
But some of Africa’s leaders have turned politics into a profitable business instead of being accountable for their actions. They never indulge in thinking global and acting local.
People no longer join politics in Africa to save their country’s economy or to make a name for themselves, they do so for “cash”. Oh yeah! Money is the attraction lately. Politics has thus developed into a lucrative career. So if you are looking for a lucrative career, you had better think about politics.
Well, my only pain is that today’s African leaders make a lot of money in a continent where many live below $2 a day. Read on and see for yourself.
Note: Most of the earnings below represent only her base salary and therefore do not include some of her fixed and variable benefits.
Highest Paid African Presidents [2018]
21. Emmerson Mnangagwa, Zimbabwe
Emmerson Mnangagwa is the current President of Zimbabwe, in power since November 24, 2017. He was Zimbabwe’s first vice president from 2014 until his sacking in early November 2017. This led to a coup that ousted President Robert Mugabe.
Mnangagwa’s predecessor earned $18,000 each year as his base salary—excluding his other presidential benefits and perks. So it is believed that Emmerson, whose salary and other benefits are currently under review, is earning around or nearly the same as Mugabe.
20. Peter Mutharika, Malawi
Peter Mutharika is the current Head of State and Prime Minister of Malawi, who ousted Joyce Banda. He heads the Executive Branch of the Government of Malawi and is the Commander-in-Chief of the Malawi Armed Forces. He earns a base salary of $42,000 per year outside of multiple fixed and variable benefits.
In 2017, Presidential Questions Mutharika’s monthly salary jumped back into the limelight after it was reported that he was earning k3.8m monthly. However, the State House was quick to downplay the report, noting that Peter earns €1.5 million in monthly salary, despite the decision to “automatically revise his salary to €3.8 million on October 1, 2016, because in some Cases adjustments were made to the positions below it”.
19.Ali Bongo Ondimba, Gabon
Ali Bongo Ondimba has been President of Gabon since October 2009, when he succeeded his father, who took power as President of Gabon in 1967.
According to a 2010 Daily Mail report, he spent a whopping $129million (£85million) on a lavish townhouse in Paris, but his base salary is $65,000 a year.
17. Ian Khama, Botswana
Ian Khama is the President of Botswana, who was elected in 2008. In 2012, Ian Khama received a three percent salary increase and earned $66,713 per year, not counting other benefits and perks stemming from his position.
Likewise, in 2016, President Khama’s salary was changed along with cabinet ministers, the judiciary and parliamentarians. In that development, the president’s salary increased by three percent to 670,888 pence (869,000 rand) a year, which translates to 56,000 pence (72,530 rand; $5,450) a month.
16. Edgar Lungu, Zambia
Edgar Lungu is the current Head of State and Prime Minister of Zambia. Since taking office in January 2015, his income, salaries and other remuneration have been in the spotlight.
Based on initial reports from the President of Zambia, he earned a base salary of US$65,000 or KK523,340 million per year. This includes the President’s annual allowance, an allowance of T414,406 and an allowance of T108,934. Note that not all variable benefits are accounted for.
However, in November 2016, it emerged that Lungu decided to lower his $45,000 monthly salary in order to implement austerity measures. The Zambian Statutory Instrument (SI) 19 of 2016 provides Edgar’s salary at ZMW36,000.00 million. With the cut, his base salary was reduced to 18,000K.
15. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Egypt
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is the sixth and current President of Egypt, having been in office since 2014. The ex-general and head of the Egyptian armed forces resigned from the military on March 26, 2014 to run for the presidency.
President el-Sisi has an annual salary of EGP 504,000 (US$70,400) after the President decreed increasing the President’s monthly salary from 2000 to EGP 42,000 (US$5,900).
14. John Dramani Mahama, Ghana
John Dramani is the current President of Ghana. He has been President of Ghana since July 2012. His annual income is $76,000.
The salaries of the President of Ghana and his ministers were increased in 2012, causing an uproar among Ghanaian citizens. As a result, the president’s monthly salary increased from $4,240 to $6,357.
13.Paul Kagame, Rwanda
Paul Kagame is the sixth and current President of Rwanda, which took office in 2000 when his predecessor Pasteur Bizimungu resigned. He puts $85,000 a year into his base salary. People believe that the president deserves the high pay because the country is making rapid economic progress under his presidency.
12. Alassane Ouattara, Ivory Coast
Alassane Ouattara is the current President of Ivory Coast having been in office since 2011. He is the fifth President of the Ivory Coast and is an economist by profession. He puts $100,000 into his base salary every year.
11. Abdullah al-Thani, Libya
Abdullah al-Thani is a Libyan Prime Minister who has been Prime Minister of Libya since March 11, 2014 after Congress sacked Ali Zeidan. Ali Zeidan, the former Libyan prime minister, was paid around $105,000 a year before leaving office.
Since the salary of a country’s prime minister or president is static until the sitting chairman decides to do something else (Abdullah al-Thani). He is believed to be earning the same annual income as Ali Zeidan, which is $105,000.
10. Hage Geingob, Namibia
Hage Geingob is the third and current President of Namibia, in office since March 21, 2015. He took over from Hifikepunye Pohamba, who was due to step down in 2015 because Namibia’s presidency is limited to two terms.
Hage Geingob receives N$1.7 million a year since Hifikepunye Pohamba received the same amount after he and all other political taxpayers received a 6% pay rise in 2017.
9. Joseph Kabila, DR Congo
Joseph Kabila Kabange has been President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since January 2001 following the death of his father, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila. He was elected President in 2006 and re-elected to a second term in 2011. He earns $110,000 annually.
8. Azali Assoumani, Comoros
Azali Assoumani is the President of Comoros, who has been in office since 2016. He earns a pay package of $115,000 per year. He previously served as the country’s president from 1999 to 2002 and again from 2002 to 2006.
7. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, Somalia
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is a renowned Somali diplomat and politician who became the ninth and current President of Somalia. He earns $12,000 monthly in base salary and $144,000 annually.
Mohamed took office as president in 2017 after achieving great success in the Somali presidential election.
6. Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya
Uhuru Kenyatta is the current President of Kenya. He is the fourth President of Kenya and has been in office since April 9, 2013. Kenyatta’s pockets total $132,000 each year. He set a good example in 2014 by implementing a pay cut. His base salary of $14,000 a month was reduced to around $11,000. Note that this doesn’t include his numerous variable and fixed perks.
5.Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, EQ
Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has been President of Equatorial Guinea since 1979. He earns about $150,000 annually.
4. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Algeria
Abdelaziz is an Algerian politician who has been the fifth President of Algeria since 1999. Before becoming President of Algeria, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1963 to 1976. He gets an annual salary of around $168,000.
3. Jacob Zuma, South Africa
Zuma Jacob is the current President of South Africa. He is in the top 10 highest paid executives in the world with a whopping R2 9 million (US$200,411) annual salary.
2. King Mohammed VI, Morocco
King Mohammed VI Is the President of Morocco who assumed the mantle of leadership on 23 July 1999 after the death of his father, King Hassan II. He gets $480,000 a year.
1. Paul Biya, Cameroon
Paul Biya is a Cameroonian politician who has been President of Cameroon since November 6, 1982. He is currently one of the longest-reigning non-royal heads of state in the world. Though his base salary seems low, his monthly pay package is a bit excessive.
He earns a base salary of (200 euros) or 131,000 CFA francs or $2,590 per year, but without fixed bonuses and sovereignty fees,” read the weekly releases. “In addition to the monthly allowances of over CFA 790,000 (€1,200) impacting $15,541 per year for housing and transportation, Paul Biya’s monthly allowances for Sovereignty are said to be up to CFA 30 million (€45,700) or $49,322.64) or $591,871.68 annually.
Keep in mind that this is outside of any other variable perks he gets. In total, he rakes in $610,002 a year not counting other variable allowances, making him one of the richest presidents in Africa.
Honorable Mentions
Salary of some former African presidents
Jose Eduardo dos Santos, Angola
José Eduardo dos Santos is an Angolan politician who served as President of Angola from 1979 to 2017. His base salary was $50,672.52 per year ($4222.71 monthly at an April 2015 conversion rate of 0.0092 Kz to $1).
He received a salary of $81,075.96 per year, including kz461,319 (monthly salary) and an additional kz276,791 ($2533.62, $30403.44 per year), which is a monthly allowance consistent with the salary. In total, he pocketed $81,075.96, making him one of the richest leaders in Africa.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia
Ellen Johnson was the President of Liberia between 2006 and 2018. She made history as the first African woman head of state. Born on October 29, 1938, this wonderful Nobel laureate received $90,000 per year as her base salary. She was listed as the 70th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2014 .
Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud
Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud was the 8th President of Somalia, serving in the country’s prestigious position from September 16, 2012 to February 16, 2017. He was reportedly making a whopping $125,000 a month ($1,500,000 a year).