1. The contract
Sectoral Determination 7 for domestic workers, with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act for anything it does not cover, 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, adjusted every year. Any day of less than 4 hours 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 or having it done. If she has worked for you for a while without UIF, it can be caught up from her start date: see UIF arrears, step by step.
4. COIDA
The Compensation Fund covers injury on duty. Household employers of domestic workers must register. A Constitutional Court ruling of 19 November 2020 extended the cover to domestic workers, back to 27 April 1994, and most households still have not caught up. It applies at any hours and costs 1.04% of her yearly wages, never less than R560, after a yearly Return of Earnings. The COIDA guide explains it in ten minutes.
5. Payslips and records
Every payment needs a payslip (clause 6 of Sectoral Determination 7 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.
7. If you are behind
Most households start late, and both UIF and COIDA can be caught up. Unpaid UIF is 2% of her pay for each missed month plus a once-off penalty of 10% of the unpaid amount, and every month has to be declared so it counts for her. Outstanding COIDA Returns of Earnings for 2025 and earlier must be filed before 31 October 2026. See UIF back pay and the COIDA final reminder.
The done-for-you route
AskMandla does this as a service: the contract, the UIF registration submission and her monthly UIF, COIDA registration and the yearly Return of Earnings (handled by our team behind the scenes), payday, the payslips and the records, for R49 per worker per month with a R450 once-off setup. UIF that is behind is caught up with no extra AskMandla fee; the back contributions and the 10% penalty still go to the Fund. Your part is a WhatsApp chat. See pricing.