How much must I pay a domestic worker in 2026?

From 1 March 2026 the national minimum wage for domestic workers is R 30,23 per hour — the full national rate, with no lower domestic tier. That works out to about R 4 836,80 for a 160-hour month and about R 120,92 for a 4-hour day. You may pay more; you may never pay less.

How much should I pay a domestic worker per day?

Pay the hourly minimum (R 30,23/hour) for every hour worked. A 4-hour half-day is about R 120,92; an 8-hour full day is about R 241,84. Use the calculator to set your own hours and see the legal minimum per day.

How much should I pay a domestic worker per month?

It depends on the hours. A full-time worker on a standard 160-hour month earns at least R 4 836,80. Fewer hours means a lower monthly figure — but the same R 30,23 per hour. The calculator works out the monthly minimum for any number of hours.

Is the minimum wage lower for a part-time or once-a-week worker?

No. The minimum is set per hour, so a once-a-week or part-time worker is paid the same R 30,23 per hour as a full-time worker — just over fewer hours. Their monthly pay is pro-rata to the hours they actually work. There is no lower part-time rate.

Does the 24-hour rule mean I don't pay minimum wage for a few hours a week?

No — this is the single most common mistake. The 24-hour/month threshold only decides whether you must REGISTER the worker for UIF and COIDA. The National Minimum Wage and BCEA rights apply to every domestic worker from the first hour, regardless of how few hours they work.

Free calculatorUpdated for 2026/27

How much to pay a domestic worker in 2026

From 1 March 2026, the legal minimum for a domestic worker in South Africa is R 30,23 per hour — about R 4 836,80 for a 160-hour month and roughly R 120,92for a 4-hour day. It is the full national minimum wage, with no lower “domestic” tier. You can pay more; you may never pay less. Enter the hours below to see the minimum per hour, day and month — and a fair-pay view above the floor.

How do you want to enter hours?

Hours per day *

e.g. 8 for a full day, 4 for a half-day

Days per week *

1 for once-a-week, 5 for full-time

Fair-pay uplift (optional)

A % above the legal floor — the minimum is the law, not the goal

The national minimum wage for domestic workers is R 30,23/hour from 1 March 2026 — the same rate whatever the hours. Already pay a fixed amount and want to check it? Use the wage checker.

What to pay

40h/week · part-time

The legal minimum

At least R 30,23/hour — about R 241,84 for a 8-hour day, or roughly R 5 239,87 a month for these hours.

Per hour

R 30,23

legal minimum

Per day

R 241,84

8h day

Per month

R 5 239,87

40h/week

Part-time? Pay pro-rata, never below the hourly minimum.

For a once-a-week or part-time worker, the monthly figure is just the hourly minimum across the hours actually worked — but the per-hour rate is exactly the same R 30,23 as a full-time worker. There is no lower part-time rate.

These hours pass the 24-hour/month line — register for UIF.

The 24-hour/month threshold only decides whether you must register for UIF and COIDA — it has nothing to do with the wage. The minimum wage applies from the very first hour, regardless of hours. Work out the UIF or make a payslip.

How much should I pay per day?

The minimum wage is set per hour, so a day rate is simply R 30,23 multiplied by the hours worked that day. A 4-hour half-day comes to about R 120,92; a standard 8-hour day comes to about R 241,84. If you pay a flat daily rate, make sure it never works out to less than R 30,23 an hour once you divide it by the hours the worker is actually there.

How much should I pay per month?

A full-time domestic worker on a standard 160-hour month must earn at least R 4 836,80. Fewer hours means a lower monthly minimum — the calculator works it out pro-rata for any schedule. A monthly salary is fine, but the underlying hourly rate must still be at least R 30,23. After you settle on a figure, you can check it against the law and generate a compliant payslip.

Part-time & once-a-week workers (pro-rata)

A worker who comes one day a week is entitled to exactly the same R 30,23 an hour as a full-time worker — there is no lower part-time rate. Their pay is simply pro-rata to the hours they work. See the dedicated part-time / once-a-week pay guide and the day-rate guide.

The 24-hour rule is about registration, not the wage

Many sources blur this. The 24-hour-per-month threshold only decides whether you must register the worker for UIF and COIDA — it has nothing to do with what you must pay. The minimum wage and BCEA rights apply to every domestic worker from the first hour, however few hours they work. If the hours do pass 24 a month, you also need to register and pay UIF and confirm your COIDA position.

Where these figures come from

The R 30,23/hour rate is the National Minimum Wage for domestic workers effective 1 March 2026, set under the National Minimum Wage Act 9 of 2018 and published in Government Gazette No. 54075 (gazetted February 2026; see SAnews.gov.za). Domestic and farm workers are on the full national rate — there is no longer a separate, lower domestic minimum. The R 4 836,80 (160-hour month) and R 120,92 (4-hour day) figures are worked equivalents of that hourly rate, not separate legislated amounts. Figures update automatically each 1 March when the minimum wage changes.

Common questions

How much must I pay a domestic worker in 2026?: From 1 March 2026 the national minimum wage for domestic workers is R 30,23 per hour — the full national rate, with no lower domestic tier. That works out to about R 4 836,80 for a 160-hour month and about R 120,92 for a 4-hour day. You may pay more; you may never pay less.
How much should I pay a domestic worker per day?: Pay the hourly minimum (R 30,23/hour) for every hour worked. A 4-hour half-day is about R 120,92; an 8-hour full day is about R 241,84. Use the calculator to set your own hours and see the legal minimum per day.
How much should I pay a domestic worker per month?: It depends on the hours. A full-time worker on a standard 160-hour month earns at least R 4 836,80. Fewer hours means a lower monthly figure — but the same R 30,23 per hour. The calculator works out the monthly minimum for any number of hours.
Is the minimum wage lower for a part-time or once-a-week worker?: No. The minimum is set per hour, so a once-a-week or part-time worker is paid the same R 30,23 per hour as a full-time worker — just over fewer hours. Their monthly pay is pro-rata to the hours they actually work. There is no lower part-time rate.
Does the 24-hour rule mean I don't pay minimum wage for a few hours a week?: No — this is the single most common mistake. The 24-hour/month threshold only decides whether you must REGISTER the worker for UIF and COIDA. The National Minimum Wage and BCEA rights apply to every domestic worker from the first hour, regardless of how few hours they work.

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.