The legal floor: R30.23 an hour
Pay is set per hour. From 1 March 2026 the minimum is R30.23 for every ordinary hour worked — the full national minimum wage, with domestic workers no longer on a lower tier. Everything below is built from that hourly figure, and it changes each year on 1 March, so re-check it every March. Our minimum-wage guide covers the gazette detail.
Per day and per month
Whenever a worker reports for work they must be paid for at least 4 hours, so the daily minimum is R120.92 (4 × R30.23) even if they're sent home early. There is no fixed monthly minimum because it depends on hours: a full 45-hour week is about 195 hours a month (45 × 52 ÷ 12), roughly R5 894 at the minimum. For a part-time or once-a-week worker, multiply their actual hours by R30.23 — the pay calculator does this for you, including pro-rata.
What it really costs: beyond the wage
The wage is only part of the cost. If the worker does more than 24 hours a month you also pay UIF — 1% added by you on top of the 1% you deduct, capped on earnings up to R17 712, so at most R177.12 from each side. You carry paid leave (3 weeks a year), paid sick leave, and a COIDA assessment (a household pays at least R560 a year). Budget for the true cost of employment, not just the headline wage.
Paying fairly above the minimum
The minimum is a floor, not a target. Many households pay above it for experience, extra duties (childcare, cooking, driving) or a longer relationship, and add a transport allowance or a customary December bonus (not legally required — see our 13th-cheque guide). Our per-role, per-city salary pages show what people actually pay, so you can benchmark a fair rate above the legal minimum.