Domestic worker wage and UIF calculator
Employ a domestic worker, gardener, nanny or carer at home? The national minimum wage is R30.23 an hour from 1 March 2026. Enter the hours and what you pay, and see whether the rate is legal, the monthly minimum, and the UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund) contribution you must both make. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
What the law says
The National Minimum Wage Act sets a floor of R30.23 for every ordinary hour worked, from 1 March 2026. Domestic workers, gardeners and farm workers get the full rate; the old lower rates for domestic workers ended in 2022. Anything you give in kind, such as meals, a room or transport, does not count towards the wage. It sits on top. A worker who does less than four hours on a day must be paid for four hours. A written agreement to pay less is not valid; the worker can still claim the shortfall through the Department of Employment and Labour or the CCMA (Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, the labour dispute body).
Once a worker does more than 24 hours a month for you, you are an employer for UIF. Register with the Unemployment Insurance Fund on uFiling (the Fund's online system), get an employer reference number, and pay 2% of the wage each month: 1% deducted from the worker and 1% from your own pocket. The contribution is worked out on the actual wage, so a worker earning R5 894 costs you R58.94 and contributes R58.94. Paying it is what gives the worker unemployment, maternity and illness benefits later.
Two more duties apply. You must give written particulars of employment, which a simple contract covers, and a payslip every pay day. Since the Constitutional Court's Mahlangu judgment, households must also register with the Compensation Fund under COIDA (the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act) so that a worker hurt at your home is covered.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage for a domestic worker in 2026?
R30.23 for every ordinary hour worked, from 1 March 2026. It is the same national minimum wage that applies to all workers. On a 45 hour week that is R1 360.35 a week, or about R5 894 a month. Paying less is unlawful even if the worker agrees to it.
Must I register my domestic worker for UIF?
Yes, if they work for you more than 24 hours a month. You register as an employer with the Unemployment Insurance Fund, deduct 1% from the worker's wage, add 1% of your own, and pay the 2% to the Fund every month through uFiling. A worker who does less than 24 hours a month for you is not covered.
What if my worker does less than four hours on a day?
The National Minimum Wage Act says a worker who works less than four hours on any day must be paid for four hours. So a two hour visit is paid as four hours at R30.23, which is R120.92.
Not registered for UIF yet? We do it for you
We register you as a domestic employer with the Fund and set up the monthly declaration, so the worker is covered and you are not the one facing a penalty. Read the full list of a household employer's duties on our domestic employers page.
Register me for UIFWage increases and rule changes, by email
The minimum wage changes every March. One email when it does, plus the UIF and COIDA dates household employers need. Never more than monthly.
Keep exploring
Minimum wage of R30.23 an hour from 1 March 2026 per the National Minimum Wage Act amendment announced by the Minister of Employment and Labour on 3 February 2026 and the Department's National Minimum Wage flyer (revised February 2026), labour.gov.za. UIF contributions of 1% each per the Unemployment Insurance Contributions Act 4 of 2002. Checked 3 September 2026. Estimate only; the Department decides in a dispute.