The roles, in plain terms
A domestic worker's job is the home itself — cleaning, laundry, ironing and often cooking. A nanny's primary responsibility is the children: feeding, bathing, play, routines and safety, sometimes with light tidying. An au pair usually combines childcare with light duties and driving — school runs, homework supervision, lunches — and is often part-time and a student. The lines blur in practice, and one person may do a mix; what matters legally is that they all work in or around a private household.
Pay differences
Childcare responsibility generally commands more than general cleaning, so nannies and au pairs with sole care of children often sit above a general domestic worker on the same hours. Au pairs are frequently part-time and paid an hourly or day rate, while nannies and domestic workers are more often full-time monthly. None of this changes the floor: every hour worked must be paid at least R30.23, and any day reported attracts at least the 4-hour minimum of R120.92.
The law treats all three the same
This is the part employers most often get wrong: there is no special 'au pair' category that escapes labour law. A nanny, a domestic worker and an au pair are all employees under the BCEA. All three get the national minimum wage, a written contract, a payslip, paid leave and — if they work more than 24 hours a month — UIF and COIDA registration. An au pair being a student or working part-time changes the hours and the pay, not the legal protections.
Getting the contract right
Whatever you call the role, set out the actual duties, hours, pay and leave in a written contract. Be specific about childcare responsibility, driving and the days and times, because those drive both the fair rate and the leave calculation. If the person works fewer than 24 hours a month you needn't register them for UIF, but minimum wage, a contract and a payslip still apply.