Skeem Saam has captivated the hearts of many South Africans and has gained it’s 5-star rating from viewers so we can only imagine that the actors are content with their pockets for them to deliver such performances. Introduced to us in 2011, it has continued to grow making it one of the most watched shows in the country.

The show is low budget so it pays a little lower than DSTV and etv shows. According to iHarare, this is what actors are taking home each month depending on number of scenes on set and roles in the show.

Acting veteran Shoki Sebotsana (Celia Kunutu) are one of the highest-paid actresses on the show and takes home R35 000 to R50 000 monthly. Meikie, Mantuli, John, and Lelo’s take-home salary is between R30 000 to R40 000 per month.

Leeto, Lehasa, Rachel, Tbose, Marothi and Leshole’s salaries range between R20 000 to R30 000 per month.Kwaito, Charles Kunutu and Katlego Peterson’s take home between R20,000 to R25,000 per month. Supporting actors Sis Ouma, Pretty, Emkay and Mokgadi are earning R15 000 to R25,000 per month.

Nimrod is the lowest paid actor on the show with R12 000 to R20,000 per month.

iHarare also released an estimate on how much the River actors get paid. Leading lady Lindiwe Dlamini played by Sindi Dlathu’s salary was disclosed. Leading man who is the ying to Lindiwe’s yang Zweli Dikana played by the talented Hlomla Dandala, bags R45 000 per month.
The lowest paid actors salaries are due to their minimal screen time and these are Tinah Mnumzana (Flora), Thapelo Sebogodi (Khabzela), and Matshepo Sekgopi (Dimpho) and their salaries range from R18 000 to R25 000 per month. Followed by Lunga Shabalala who plays Lindani, earns between R20 000 and R25 000

Veteran actor Presley Chweneyage who stars as Thuso ‘Cobra’ Mokoena, earns between R27 000 to R34 000 a month. He is the first son and the eldest child to Thato and Malefu. Another celebrated actor Sello Maake ka-Ncube gets paid between R25 000 to R35 000 a month.

Larona Moagi, Lawrence Maleka, Moshidi Motshegwa and Don Mlangeni all earn between R25 000 to R30 00 a month. Tango Ncetezo gets between R23 000 to R32 000 while former Isidingo actress Shannon Esra is paid between R25 000 to R35 000 a month.

Set in Pretoria, The 1Magic drama series The River follows the lives of the Dlamini family as well as the Mokoenas who are arch-enemies. These two families from two completely different backgrounds are brought together but also divided after the discovery of a diamond in Pretoria.

Speaking on the telenovela’s authenticity, Warren Masemola told ZAlebs that The River offers something different to the South African entertainment industry.

“I believe what The River has done different, compared to what other productions have done in the past, is that it has introduced something fresh. The language on its own and the geography on its own is in the capital city – Pretoria. We’ve hardly seen that in the Southern hemisphere or South Africa to be specific, and it brings about a fresh language, which is really a dialect and not a language that is only spoken in Pretoria.

So culturally, I believe that this telenovela has done great in exporting and exposing the culture and the dialect that is in Pretoria. Either than that The River is a fresh telenovela that has already won Best Telenovela at the SAFTAS and mind you, they’re only in the second season of the show,” he said.