Salary benchmarking: What renewables CEOs can earn

From the newsletter

Top renewables business leaders in South Africa earn the highest minimum annual salary among four countries analysed by Renewables Rising in collaboration with recruiter Shortlist. South African CEOs get at least $156,000 per year. Egypt offers the lowest minimum for such roles, at $102,000 annually. The disparities are the result of differing economic settings in the countries.

• Energy firms that want to ensure their top leader sticks around pay a “retention rate” in South Africa of around $228,000, the highest. In Kenya, the equivalent is $175,000, with Nigeria and Egypt following at $158,000 and $149,000, respectively.

• This is for the top leaders in mid-size renewable energy companies. Salary benchmark are assembled in partnership with Shortlist, a leading recruitment agency in Africa.

More details

• Across the board, South Africa leads in compensation for strategy leaders, followed by Kenya, Nigeria, and Egypt, respectively. 

• For leaders in general management roles such as Operations Director, Business Development Manager, Project Lead, etc, the average minimum pay across these four countries is $122,000, with a retention benchmark capped at around $177,000 annually.

• The average minimum pay for professional non-executive directors is approximately $2,000, while the retention benchmark is capped at $6,000 across the regions. These leaders play a critical role in governance and strategic oversight, including roles like Audit Committee Chair and Risk Management Director in mid-sized energy firms.

• In exceptional cases, particularly within multinational energy companies, strategy leaders receive premium compensation. In South Africa, top general strategy management talent can earn up to $390,000, followed by Kenya at $300,000, Nigeria at $270,000, and Egypt at $255,000.

• Premium rates for professional non-executive directors are $13,000 in South Africa, $10,000 in Kenya, $9,000 in Nigeria, and $8,500 in Egypt.

Our take

• South Africa’s premium pay for renewable strategy leaders reflects both its regional dominance and Africa’s growing alignment with global salary trends as demand for green skills intensifies.

• With renewable energy investments surging across Africa, strategy leaders can expect salaries to rise steadily as companies compete fiercely for top talent in this booming sector.

• Ultimately, retention packages will be the real battleground in the renewables sector. Companies that don’t invest in competitive pay risk losing their best strategic minds.