SA-TIED Insights: Ayanda Hlathswayo on Women’s Labour Force Participation and the Gender Wage Gap

As part of a Women’s Month feature, Ayanda Hlathswayo, Acting Chief Data Analytics Officer at National Treasury and SA-TIED Workstream Lead, was recently interviewed on Money Web, where she shared valuable insights into the ongoing challenges and progress regarding women’s participation in South Africa’s labour force.  Hlathswayo drew on findings from an SA-TIED Working Paper, Michelle Pleace, Matthew Clance, and Nicky Nicholls. The paper highlights the widening income disparity between men and women in the formal economy, particularly within lower-income brackets and high-skill industries. Using administrative tax data spanning from 2008 to 2021, the study revealed that the gender wage gap has expanded, with women earning 89 cents for every ZAR1 earned by men in 2008, decreasing to 78 cents by 2021. Hlathswayo emphasised the significance of these findings, particularly in the context of financial independence for women and the rise of female-headed households in South Africa. 

Hlathswayo also discussed the importance of policy interventions aimed at improving women’s representation in senior management and addressing income disparities in low-income categories. She highlighted SA-TIED’s ongoing research and the role of the National Treasury Secure Data Facility in supporting evidence-based policymaking.

Listen to the interview here.