According to South African media reports on November 23, in response to the low wages and serious unemployment of domestic workers (nanny, gardener, household cleaning, etc.), the National Minimum Wage Commission of South Africa has raised the minimum wage of domestic workers to the national minimum in 2021. 88% of wages will be increased to 100% in 2022 to ensure that they meet their most basic living needs.
As of March 2020, the minimum wage for domestic workers in South Africa is 75% of the basic salary in South Africa, which is 15.57 rand about 1$ per hour, and about 2600 rand 190$ per month. According to the new proposal, if the base figure in 2021 is raised to 88%, the minimum wage for domestic workers will be raised to 19.09 rand about 1.35$ per hour, an increase of 23%. The National Minimum Wage Commission of South Africa stated that this adjustment will increase the monthly income of domestic workers by about 450 rand about 29$
According to the South African Bureau of Statistics’ quarterly survey data for the third quarter of 2020, domestic workers are the group hardest hit by Coronavirus pandemic.
By the second quarter of 2020, a total of 259,000 people will be unemployed, and the number of employed people will drop by 25.1%. Domestic workers are currently one of the lowest-paid occupations in South Africa, but many families still rely on this income for their basic living.
