Shortlist salary benchmarking: What top mobility finance leaders can earn

From the newsletter

The expected minimum salary for top finance leaders in Africa’s fast-growing electric mobility sector is $77,000 per year, while $109,000 is considered the average retention benchmark above which the risk of poaching is much reduced. In exceptional cases, top finance salaries at mobility multinationals can rise to $205,000, though all this varies by country. 

• By “leaders” we mean the top functional posts in a company. Our benchmark data is for mid-size companies and assembled in partnership with Shortlist, a top recruitment agency in Africa.

• In renewables sales, top leaders tend to earn between $59,000 and $89,000, with a premium rate of $127,000. Marketing and communications leaders make between $55,000 and $77,000, while the premium rate is $109,000. 

More details

• Finance roles lead in compensation across four countries (Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa). The latter offers the most competitive annual average range at $99,000 to $140,000, standing well above the rest. Kenya follows with a somewhat lower range of $77,000 to $109,000, while Nigeria ($69,000–$97,000) and Egypt ($65,000–$92,000) bring up the rear.

• Sales leadership pay is generally lower than in finance. Kenya’s annual average figures are $59,000 to $86,000. South Africa again outpaces the average with a range of $76,000 to $111,000, showing strong investment in commercial leadership. However, Nigeria ($53,000 – $77,000) and Egypt ($50,000 – $73,000) continue to lag on both minimum and maximum scales.

• Top marketing and communications leaders receive the lowest remuneration among the three job categories under review. Kenya maintains consistency with an annual average range of $54,000 to $77,000, aligning well with the Africa average. South Africa is at the top with a substantially higher range of $70,000 to $99,000. Meanwhile, Nigeria ($49,000 – $69,000) and Egypt ($46,000 – $65,000) are further back.

• South Africa dominates in maximum compensation across all functions. Its premium rates ($263,000 in finance, $164,000 in sales and $140,000 in marketing) are closer to global norms without matching them. This reflects a more mature and well-resourced electric mobility sector with strong demand for top talent. 

Our take

• Although current salary ranges for electric mobility roles in Egypt fall below the industry average, rising demand for talent is expected to shift this trend. The country has been drawing significant interest from new e-mobility companies, and as competition intensifies, compensation is likely to rise in response.

• The current salary distribution shows a clear preference for revenue-driving roles, particularly in regions like South Africa where top-end figures are consistently higher. Markets like Egypt are still developing, but their growing appeal to investors and operators signals an evolving pay landscape.

• Data from Mobility Rising shows that companies are heavily focused on hiring sales professionals as they prioritise market entry and customer acquisition. Meanwhile, there have been noticeably fewer vacancies for finance and marketing leaders.