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eMedia, owner of the 24-hour news channel eNCA, among other brands, has for the first time disclosed its pay gap, with remuneration data showing its top earners took home five times as much as its lowest-paid employees.The data, revealed in line with the new requirements under the amended Companies Act, shows the group’s highest earner, CEO Khalik Sherrif, earned a total of R19m (including a bonus of R10.3m) in the 2025 financial year, versus the R98,000 paid to the lowest earner.“The remuneration committee and executive management regularly review equal pay for work of equal value across the group to promote fair, equitable and transparent remuneration practices,” the company said in its annual report.“These reviews assess remuneration outcomes across employee groups to identify potential disparities and ensure that pay decisions remain aligned with the principles of fairness, internal equity and market competitiveness.“Remuneration outcomes are determined using objective criteria, including role requirements, performance, skills, experience, potential, critical and scarce capabilities, and relevant market benchmarks. “Where areas of misalignment are identified, appropriate corrective actions are considered through the group’s remuneration and human resources processes to support pay equity, employee retention and responsible reward practices.”South African listed groups have been disclosing their gaps as part of reforms to the Companies Act. The data of those companies has shown that skilled positions tend to pay higher than semiskilled or unskilled positions.Executive pay is largely boosted by generous short-term and long-term incentive structures.eMedia, through e.tv, Openview, eVOD, eNCA, and its production assets, reaches millions of people, with the group enjoying a 32.2% market share of the all-platform prime-time audience.The group in the year under review reported revenue of R3bn and a profit of R299.5m.“We are one of the most significant investors in South Africa’s creative economy. We commit approximately R470m each year to the broader production industry, supporting over 1,500 jobs a year and a large network of independent producers (many of them majority black-owned),” the group said.“This investment is matched by the infrastructure we own and operate. Sasani Studios, Cape Town Film Studios and Media Film Service provide world-class production capacity, while our journalism academy, learnerships and internships develop the next generation of South African media talent.“Our most significant recent addition is VRtuosus, a real-time virtual production studio opened in Joburg in March 2026. The studio brings advanced production technology, previously available mainly through major international facilities, within reach of South African filmmakers.”Business Day
