The legal floor for a domestic worker is R30.23 an hour from 1 March 2026, and any day she works is paid as at least 4 hours. So R125 a visit covers about four hours at the minimum; a 6-hour visit must pay at least R181.38. Briefly News reported on 16 September 2026 on a TikTok video that asked households what they pay, after an advert offered R500 a month for four visits, which is R125 a visit. Four 6-hour visits come to 24 hours a month, and from 24 hours a month UIF applies too.
What the story says
A woman's video questioned an advert offering R500 a month for four visits. The comments that followed shared pay from R240 a day to R10,500 a month. The hours behind those figures were not given, so none of them can be called legal or illegal on its own.
The maths for a visit
| Visit length | Minimum pay for the visit (R30.23 an hour) |
|---|---|
| Up to 4 hours | R120.92 (the 4-hour minimum) |
| 5 hours | R151.15 |
| 6 hours | R181.38 |
| 8 hours | R241.84 |
Only money paid for her ordinary hours counts towards the minimum. Food and transport you provide do not count towards R30.23 an hour.
When UIF and the other rules start
Count her hours in a month: weekly hours times 4⅓.
- Four 6-hour visits a month is 24 hours. UIF applies from 24 hours a month, so you register and pay 1% plus 1%.
- One 8-hour day a week is about 34.7 hours a month. UIF applies, and so do the written contract, payslips, leave and notice rules in Sectoral Determination 7.
- Under 24 hours a month, only the minimum wage rules apply, plus COIDA.
- COIDA applies at any hours. Every household with a domestic worker registers with the Compensation Fund.
Above the minimum
R30.23 an hour is a floor. Her experience, what she is responsible for (children, cooking, keys to the house), how far she travels, and how long she has worked for you all justify more. In the homes AskMandla pays, a five-day, live-out wage is typically R7,000 a month (October 2026). Our wage calculator shows the legal minimum for any pattern of hours.
Questions people ask
How much should I pay my domestic worker per day in 2026?
At least R30.23 an hour, and any day is paid as at least 4 hours (R120.92). An 8-hour day is at least R241.84.
Does my once-a-week domestic worker need UIF?
It depends on her hours. One 8-hour day a week is about 34.7 hours a month, so yes. One 5-hour morning a week is about 21.7 hours a month, so no. COIDA applies either way.
Sources
- Briefly News, "How Much Are You Paying Your Domestic Worker?": Woman's Video Sparks Salary Debate, 16 September 2026
- National Minimum Wage Act 9 of 2018, section 5, and the 2026 national minimum wage (R30.23 an hour from 1 March 2026)
- Sectoral Determination 7: Domestic Worker Sector, clause 1(3) (workers under 24 hours a month)