1. The contract
The Basic Conditions of Employment Act applies to your household whether or not anything is written down, but a written contract protects both of you. It should state the days, the hours, the wage, leave, and how either side ends the arrangement. Plain language is fine; what matters is that you both understand and sign it.
2. Pay
The national minimum wage is R30.23 per hour as at 1 March 2026, reviewed every March. Any day of 4 hours or less is paid as 4 hours. Overtime is 1.5×; Sundays and public holidays attract higher rates. The minimum-wage guide works through real examples, and the wage calculator gives a figure for your exact arrangement.
3. UIF
Register with the Unemployment Insurance Fund and contribute 2% of her pay monthly, 1% from you, 1% from her wage. It is what pays out if she loses work, falls ill or goes on maternity leave. The UIF guide covers doing it yourself vs having the admin processed.
4. COIDA
The Compensation Fund covers injury on duty. Household employers of domestic workers must register, a 2021 Constitutional Court ruling extended the cover to domestic workers, and most households still have not caught up. The COIDA guide explains it in ten minutes.
5. Payslips and records
Every payment needs a payslip (section 33 of the BCEA lists what it must show). Keep records of pay, leave and any agreements, they are what protect you both if there is ever a dispute.
6. If it ends
Notice periods and severance follow the law, and a fair process matters as much as the outcome. Get guidance before acting, a rushed dismissal is the most expensive mistake a household employer can make.
The done-for-you route
AskMandla runs all of the above as a service: the contract, the UIF and COIDA admin, payday on the 25th, the payslips and the records, for R49 per worker per month with a R450 once-off setup. Your part is a WhatsApp chat.