From 1 March 2026 the national minimum wage rises from R28.79 to R30.23 for every ordinary hour worked, an increase of 5%. Domestic workers, including nannies, cleaners and gardeners, get this same rate. For a full-time worker on 45 hours a week, the minimum monthly wage becomes R5,894.85, which is R280.80 more than before. This applies to every household that employs a domestic worker in South Africa.
The new rate
- The general national minimum wage rises from R28.79 to R30.23 per ordinary hour worked.
- It takes effect on 1 March 2026.
- The increase is 5.0% (R1.44 an hour), which is above inflation.
- The rate applies to domestic workers (nannies, cleaners and gardeners) and to farm workers. Their rate stays equal to the general rate, keeping the equal-pay change first made in 2022.
- The increase was announced by the Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth.
- Around one million domestic workers rely on this legal floor.
How the increase was worked out
Each year the National Minimum Wage Commission (NMWC) recommends an increase, weighing inflation against pay growth for the lowest-paid workers. The Minister of Employment and Labour then sets the final figure in the Government Gazette. For 2026 the increase is 5.0%, from R28.79 to R30.23.
What it costs household employers
The new rate raises the cost of employing a domestic worker. Households carry this cost inside their own budgets, which are already stretched by high interest rates and utility bills.
Here is the minimum gross monthly wage from 1 March 2026 for common working patterns. Hours per month are the weekly hours multiplied by 52 and divided by 12 (the conversion the law uses for domestic workers), paid at R30.23 an hour:
- Full time, 45 hours a week (195 hours a month): R5,894.85, up R280.80.
- Standard, 40 hours a week (173.33 hours a month): R5,239.87, up R249.60.
- Part time, 3 days a week or 24 hours (104 hours a month): R3,143.92, up R149.76.
- One day a week, 8 hours (34.67 hours a month): R1,047.97, up R49.92.
Even if a worker is there for a shorter time, you must pay for at least four hours a day. At R30.23 an hour, that four-hour minimum is R120.92 a day.
Other compliance costs
Employers must budget for more than the hourly rate. These are required by law and carry penalties if ignored:
- UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund): the employer contributes 1% of the gross wage. For a R5,895 salary that is R58.95.
- COIDA (Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act): domestic workers are covered, following the Mahlangu court ruling. The minimum annual assessment for household employers is R560.00 for the 2026 cycle.
Cutting a worker's hours or changing their working conditions to make up for the wage increase counts as an unfair labour practice, and a worker can take it to the CCMA.
What the increase means for workers
The 5.0% rise is welcome, but the minimum wage still sits below what a typical family needs to live on.
Figures from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD):
- Monthly minimum-wage income (21 days, 8 hours a day), January 2026: R4,836.72, at the old R28.79 rate.
- Average household food basket (January 2026): R5,401.44.
- The gap: at the old rate, a worker on 168 hours a month (21 eight-hour days) earned R564.72 less than the cost of basic food for a family, before transport, electricity or school costs. At the new R30.23 rate the same 168 hours pays R5,078.64, still R322.80 short.
A single domestic worker's wage often supports nearly four dependents, so income per person stays well below the official Lower-Bound Poverty Line.
The compliance gap
The R30.23 rate only helps if employers actually pay it. Statistics South Africa and other providers report that the middle (median) earnings for domestic workers are well below the legal minimum, which suggests nearly half of the workforce is paid unlawfully low wages. Around 80% of employers still run informal, non-compliant arrangements, with no UIF and no legal contracts. Fear of losing their job often stops workers from reporting employers who underpay, so the minimum wage stays a rule on paper rather than what many workers actually take home.
Where things stand
The 2026 increase cements equal pay and the equal value of domestic work through full wage parity. It does not yet secure a decent standard of living. A true living wage would cover food, transport and basic utilities, and getting there needs structural changes such as subsidised transport and a broader social wage.
Employers are encouraged to pay the new rate in full, register for UIF and COIDA, and give every worker a written employment contract.
Sources
The Department of Employment and Labour, the National Minimum Wage Commission, Statistics South Africa, and the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD).
You can check the legal minimum for any pattern of hours with the wage check, and AskMandla keeps your contract, payslips and UIF admin sorted over WhatsApp so your pay records always match the current rate.