Should teacher salaries be more performance-based, to give them the incentive to deliver better outcomes? According to a report published by Stellenbosch University’s Research on Socio-Economic Policy (Resep), the average teacher in South Africa earned in the top 5% of South Africans in 2019. In addition to this, that same report also revealed that, on average, teachers had higher hourly wages than at least 70% of all formal sector-paid employees. But yet South Africa’s academic achievements are quite mediocre when compared to many other countries. Lester Kiewit speaks to Paul Esterhuizen, CEO of School-Days, and Dr Sare Black, Lecturer in Education and Society, School of Education, Communication and Society