South Africa’s minimum wage has increased to R20.76 per hour. This is an increase of 3.8% on the previous R20, which came into effect on 1 January 2019 when a legal minimum wage was introduced in SA for the first time. Certain categories of workers have lower minimum salaries.
Here are the minimum wages that came into effect on 1 March 2020:
- For work not covered by a special determination: R20.76 per hour (previously: R20.00)
- For domestic workers: R15.57 per hour (previously: R15.00)
- For contract cleaning staff: between R20.83 and R22.84 per hour, depending on the geographic area
- For farm workers: R18.68 per hour (previously: R18.00)
- For workers in government's expanded public works programme: R11.42 per hour (previously: R11.00)
What does this mean for SA’s workers? Employers must pay their workers as per the Act, and are not allowed to make unlawful deductions from their pay (section 34 (1)(a) of the BCEA). If they do, they can find themselves in big trouble with the law.
If you think your employer might be underpaying you, you can approach the Department of Labour with your complaint – they can send a labour inspector to your employer for further investigation of the issue.
Tips:
- Minimum wage is different across the different categories of work.
- If you think you’re being underpaid, you can refer the matter to the Department of Labour for investigation.
If you have a query, follow us on our Facebook page and ask your question during our next Live Q&A (the first Thursday of every month).
* This is only basic advice and cannot be relied on solely.