Key findings: Real estate, activities auxiliary to financial intermediation and business services industry, 2024: Report 80-04-02 (2024)

Income

The total income for the real estate, activities auxiliary to financial intermediation and business services industry in 2024 was R1 843,4 billion. This represents an increase of 7,1% per annum compared with the income reported in the corresponding survey of 2020 (R1 401,2 billion). The largest contributor was ‘real estate activities’ (R369,3 billion or 20,0%), followed by ‘other business activities’ (R243,1 billion or 13,2%), ‘activities auxiliary to financial intermediation’ (R238,2 billion or 12,9%), ‘computer related activities’ (R234,3 billion or 12,7%) and ‘business and management consultancy activities’ (R198,6 billion or 10,8%).

Comparing 2020 and 2024, large increases were reported for ‘activities auxiliary to financial intermediation’ (+R88,3 billion), ‘real estate activities’ (+R84,4 billion), ‘business and management consultancy activities’ (+R60,8 billion) and ‘computer related activities’ (+R52,3 billion). Between 2016 and 2024, ‘activities auxiliary to financial intermediation’ gained the biggest percentage share (+3,0 percentage points) in income (from 9,9% in 2016 to 12,9% in 2024). ‘Other business activities’ lost the biggest percentage share in income (-4,4 percentage points) over the same period (from 17,6% in 2016 to 13,2% in 2024).

Revisions: revisions were made to Report No. 80-04-02 (2020) results due to new information obtained after the publication.

Employment

The total number of persons employed in the real estate, activities auxiliary to financial intermediation and business services industry at the end of June 2024 was 2 029 870. This represents an increase of 1,9% per annum compared with the employment recorded in the corresponding survey of 2020 (1 883 775). In 2024, ‘other business activities’ employed the largest number of persons (527 371 or 25,9%), followed by ‘investigation and security activities’ (382 670 or 18,9%) and ‘labour recruitment and provision of personnel’ (205 910 or 10,1%).

Between 2016 and 2024, the largest employment gains were recorded for ‘other business activities’ (+190 018 jobs), ‘investigation and security activities’ (+150 319 jobs) and ‘business and management consultancy activities’ (+60 304 jobs). However, the largest employment losses were recorded for ‘real estate activities’ (-34 930), ‘architectural, engineering activities and related technical consultancy’ (-24 582 jobs) and ‘labour recruitment and provision of personnel’ (-17 131 jobs).

Average salaries and wages

The average salaries and wages in the real estate, activities auxiliary to financial intermediation and business services industry in 2024 was R241 722, representing an annualised increase of 1,8% compared with 2020. The highest average salaries and wages in 2024 were for ‘computer and related activities’ (R618 008) and ‘activities auxiliary to financial intermediation’ (R583 040). ‘Activities auxiliary to financial intermediation’ recorded the highest annualised increase of 8,5% in 2024.