How much do models earn in South Africa?

E-commerce and catalogue: commonly R1,500 to R4,000 for a full day. High volume, fast pace, limited usage — often the most consistent income for a working commercial model.

Commercial campaigns with print and digital usage: commonly R5,000 to R15,000 per day, depending on the brand and the reach of the campaign.

Runway: usually a show fee of R1,500 to R6,000 plus a separate fitting fee. Fashion week and designer shows pay more than retail or mall shows.

Television commercials: the shoot day is only part of it. Fees plus broadcast usage frequently run well above R20,000 for a national campaign, and are usually negotiated with a production company.

Promotional and activation work: typically charged hourly or per shift, often R150 to R400 an hour with a minimum number of hours.

The day rate pays for your time on set. Usage pays for the right to use the images — the medium, the territory and the duration. Two identical shoot days can be worth five times different amounts because of it.

Always ask three questions before quoting: where will the images run, in which countries, and for how long? A twelve-month South African social-media licence is a very different product from a three-year global campaign with billboards.

If a client wants unlimited usage in perpetuity, that is a buyout and it should be priced as one — usually a multiple of the shoot fee, not a rounding error on it.

Agency commission is typically 20 percent, sometimes more, deducted before you are paid. Working directly with brands removes that deduction — VELA takes no commission on anything you are paid.

Travel, accommodation and wardrobe should be covered by the client, not absorbed by you. Agree this in the same message as the rate.

Payment terms in South Africa are often 30 days after invoice. Budget for that gap, and invoice the day after the shoot.