The legal must-haves
These are benefits in the sense that they have real value to the worker, but they are obligations, not gifts: UIF (1% deducted, 1% added by you, up to R177.12 each) so the worker can claim if work ends or they can't work; COIDA cover for work injuries; at least 3 weeks' paid annual leave a year; paid sick leave of the days normally worked in 6 weeks per 36-month cycle; 3 days' family responsibility leave for those employed over 4 months working at least 4 days a week; plus a written contract and a payslip every payday. Skipping any of these isn't 'no benefits' — it's non-compliance.
The common extras (not required, but valued)
Above the legal floor, many households give a 13th cheque or December bonus, a transport allowance or taxi fare, a daily meal, and sometimes a savings scheme or interest-free loan facility. None of these is required by law, but they are normal in the sector and go a long way with long-serving help. If you do offer them, put the terms in the contract so expectations are clear on both sides.
Accommodation and meals as 'benefits'
For a live-in worker, free accommodation feels like a benefit — but the law is careful here. You generally cannot dock the cash wage below the minimum by valuing accommodation: the rules allow only a small, capped deduction for lodging, and meals provided are not a substitute for wages. Treat board and lodging as something you provide on top, not as a way to pay less than R30.23 an hour. See our live-in worker guide for the detail.
Putting benefits in the contract
Whatever benefits you provide — statutory or extra — they belong in the written contract or in a written addendum: the leave entitlement, how UIF is handled, any bonus or 13th cheque, transport, meals and accommodation. Writing it down protects both sides and makes the payslip easy to produce. A clear benefits picture is also part of treating the role professionally.