What is the minimum wage for a domestic worker in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)?

The national minimum wage for a domestic worker — including a domestic worker — is R30.23 per hour from 1 March 2026. It applies everywhere in South Africa, including Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). A domestic worker who reports for work must be paid for at least 4 hours, so the daily minimum is R 120,92.

How much should a domestic worker earn per month in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)?

At the legal minimum of R30.23/hour and a typical full-time, weekdays, live-out pattern of 45 hours a week, a domestic worker earns about R 5 894,85 per month gross. This is a legal minimum, not a market average. Pay above the minimum usually tracks years of service, reliability and a long relationship with the household — but a worker doing 27 hours a week is owed exactly the same hourly rate as one doing 9.

What does a domestic worker usually do?

A domestic worker is a general household worker handling cleaning, laundry and home upkeep. Typical responsibilities include general cleaning of the home — floors, surfaces, bathrooms, kitchen, washing, drying, ironing and folding laundry, dishes, tidying and keeping the household running. This is the role the national minimum wage was written around. The same R-per-hour floor applies whether the work is full-time or a single day a week — there is no 'part-time' discount on the hourly minimum.

How much UIF for a domestic worker?

UIF is 1% deducted from the worker plus 1% paid by the employer. On a gross of about R 5 894,85, that is roughly R 58,95 off the worker and R 58,95 from the employer each month, up to the R17 712 monthly ceiling.

Legal minimum 2026

Domestic worker salary in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) (2026)

What you legally have to pay a domestic worker — a general household worker handling cleaning, laundry and home upkeep — in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) this year: the national minimum wage, the 4-hour daily minimum, an estimated monthly gross for a typical full-time, weekdays, live-out pattern, and the UIF on top.

These are legal minimums, not market rates

The figures below are the minimum you may pay by law from 1 March 2026. They are not market averages — many households in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) pay more depending on experience, hours, live-in arrangements and duties.

Minimum hourly

R30.23

National minimum wage, from 1 March 2026

Daily minimum (4-hour rule)

R 120,92

A worker who reports must be paid for at least 4 hours

Estimated monthly gross

R 5 894,85

Typical 45 hours/week at minimum wage

UIF (1% + 1%)

R 58,95 + R 58,95

Deducted from worker + paid by employer

What a domestic worker typically does

A domestic worker is a general household worker handling cleaning, laundry and home upkeep. The usual arrangement is full-time, weekdays, live-out. Day to day, the role tends to cover:

general cleaning of the home — floors, surfaces, bathrooms, kitchen
washing, drying, ironing and folding laundry
dishes, tidying and keeping the household running
occasional cooking and basic grocery errands

This is the role the national minimum wage was written around. The same R-per-hour floor applies whether the work is full-time or a single day a week — there is no 'part-time' discount on the hourly minimum.

How the domestic worker minimum is worked out

South Africa sets a single national minimum wage for domestic workers — R30.23 per hour from 1 March 2026 — and it applies in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) just like everywhere else. A typical domestic worker working 9 hours a day, 5 days a week does 45 hours a week, which comes to about R 5 894,85 a month gross at the minimum rate.

On top of the wage, both you and the worker pay 1% UIF on the gross (up to the R17 712 monthly ceiling). The worker's 1% comes off their pay; your 1% is paid by you and is not deducted.

What's a fair rate above the minimum?

The figures above are the legal floor. Pay above the minimum usually tracks years of service, reliability and a long relationship with the household — but a worker doing 27 hours a week is owed exactly the same hourly rate as one doing 9. Treat any above-minimum range as an estimate and a guide — the load-bearing legal fact is the R30.23/hour minimum, not the market range.

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Domestic worker pay in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) — quick answers

What is the minimum wage for a domestic worker in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)?: The national minimum wage for a domestic worker — including a domestic worker — is R30.23 per hour from 1 March 2026. It applies everywhere in South Africa, including Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). A domestic worker who reports for work must be paid for at least 4 hours, so the daily minimum is R 120,92.
How much should a domestic worker earn per month in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)?: At the legal minimum of R30.23/hour and a typical full-time, weekdays, live-out pattern of 45 hours a week, a domestic worker earns about R 5 894,85 per month gross. This is a legal minimum, not a market average. Pay above the minimum usually tracks years of service, reliability and a long relationship with the household — but a worker doing 27 hours a week is owed exactly the same hourly rate as one doing 9.
What does a domestic worker usually do?: A domestic worker is a general household worker handling cleaning, laundry and home upkeep. Typical responsibilities include general cleaning of the home — floors, surfaces, bathrooms, kitchen, washing, drying, ironing and folding laundry, dishes, tidying and keeping the household running. This is the role the national minimum wage was written around. The same R-per-hour floor applies whether the work is full-time or a single day a week — there is no 'part-time' discount on the hourly minimum.
How much UIF for a domestic worker?: UIF is 1% deducted from the worker plus 1% paid by the employer. On a gross of about R 5 894,85, that is roughly R 58,95 off the worker and R 58,95 from the employer each month, up to the R17 712 monthly ceiling.

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Dignita is a compliance tool, not legal advice. Figures are based on current South African legislation; confirm with a labour-law professional for your situation.