Yes, you can employ someone from another country, as long as they are allowed to work here. Any of these allows it: permanent residence, a valid visa or permit that allows work, a valid Zimbabwean or Lesotho exemption permit (ZEP or LEP, both valid until 28 May 2027), recognised refugee status, or an asylum-seeker permit that is endorsed with permission to work. With that in place, you set up the same proper contract, payslips and UIF as for any worker, and AskMandla sets it up with you.
The document that matters
The worker needs a document that allows them to work in South Africa, and it must not have expired. An asylum-seeker permit only allows work if it says so on the permit. A passport on its own is not enough. Keep a copy on file. It is against the law to employ someone who is not allowed to work here, so this is the first thing to confirm. We do not check or decide immigration status. If you are unsure about a document, Home Affairs can help on 0800 60 11 90.
Contract and payslips, the same as anyone
Once the right to work is confirmed, the job is set up the same way as for any domestic worker: a proper written contract, a fair wage, and a monthly payslip.
UIF
UIF works the same as for a South African worker: if they work 24 hours or more a month for you, you register them, and UIF is 1% from you and 1% from their pay. Their nationality does not change that. Their documents decide whether they can be employed at all. Once they are lawfully employed, UIF applies.
How AskMandla helps
Once you have confirmed the document, we draw up the contract, set up the payslip and handle the UIF admin, all on WhatsApp.