South African ordinary wage floors
Minimum wage South Africa 2026
R30.23 per ordinary hour for national, domestic and farm workers, effective 1 March 2026. Calculate your schedule and compare qualifying gross ordinary wages.
Current worker rates
| Worker category | Minimum | Effective / source |
|---|---|---|
| National / general | R30.23/hour | 1 March 2026 · Gazette 54075, Schedule 1 |
| Domestic | R30.23/hour | 1 March 2026 · Gazette 54075, Schedule 1 |
| Farm | R30.23/hour | 1 March 2026 · Gazette 54075, Schedule 1 |
| EPWP | R16.62/hour | 1 March 2026 · Gazette 54075, Schedule 1 |
Minimum wage calculator
A regular ordinary-hours schedule for a worker earning below the BCEA earnings threshold, converted using exactly 13/3 weeks per month. Each amount is rounded once to cents.
Loading calculator inputs…
- Per ordinary hour
- R30,23
- Per working day
- R241,84
- Per week
- R1 209,20
- Per month
- R5 239,87
- Employee UIF at minimum wages
- R52,40
- Employer UIF at minimum wages
- R52,40
UIF figures illustrate 1% each on the calculated minimum wages, capped at R177.12 each. Actual payroll UIF depends on actual remuneration. Higher sectoral or bargaining-council rates, exemptions, overtime, Sundays and public holidays need separate checks.
How this estimate works
The BCEA, section 35(3) specifies four and one-third weeks per month. We use exactly 13/3 and round each output once. For 40 hours: R30.23 × 40 × 13/3 = R5,239.87. The rounded 4.33 factor gives R5,235.84, but is not the exact statutory conversion. Labour’s flyer uses 4.333, giving R5,239.46.
The National Minimum Wage Act, section 5 excludes allowances, payments in kind, tips, bonuses and gifts from the ordinary-wage comparison. BCEA section 9A provides the four-hour payment floor; Labour’s 2020 gazette summary, section 2.2.2 explains this rule. Use gross ordinary wages before deductions. This tool does not verify exemption certificates or all employment-law obligations.
SARS UIF rules: employee and employer each contribute 1%, capped on R17,712 monthly remuneration (ceiling effective 1 June 2021). Employment for less than 24 hours per month with this employer is excluded, as are national/provincial government officers or employees and specified public office holders. Use actual hours employed in the month to check the threshold. The employer contribution is separate from your deduction.
Learnership agreements
Registered section 17 learnership agreements use weekly allowances based on NQF level and credits already earned, effective 1 March 2026. They do not use one hourly rate. Read the complete Schedule 2 allowance table in Gazette 54075 (page 4) before comparing pay.
| NQF level | Credits already earned | Weekly allowance |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 0–120 | R455.00 |
| 1–2 | 121–240 | R909.94 |
| 3 | 0–120 | R455.00 |
| 3 | 121–240 | R856.94 |
| 3 | 241–360 | R1,402.87 |
| 4 | 0–120 | R455.00 |
| 4 | 121–240 | R910.04 |
| 4 | 241–360 | R1,402.87 |
| 4 | 361–480 | R2,047.41 |
| 5–8 | 0–120 | R455.00 |
| 5–8 | 121–240 | R985.76 |
| 5–8 | 241–360 | R1,474.90 |
| 5–8 | 361–480 | R2,077.79 |
| 5–8 | 481–600 | R2,654.04 |
National minimum wage history
General national floor only. Earlier domestic and farm rates differed; this table is not a historical sector-pay calculator.
| Effective date | Per hour | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2019 | R20.00 | NMW Act 9 of 2018; commencement |
| 1 March 2020 | R20.76 | Gazette 43026, R.175 |
| 1 March 2021 | R21.69 | Gazette 44136, Notice 76 |
| 1 March 2022 | R23.19 | Gazette 45882, R.1732 |
| 1 March 2023 | R25.42 | Gazette 48094, R.3069 |
| 1 March 2024 | R27.58 | Labour announcement, 3 February 2024 |
| 1 March 2025 | R28.79 | Gazette 52053, R.5830 |
| 1 March 2026 | R30.23 | Gazette 54075, R.7083 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the domestic worker minimum wage?
Domestic workers receive R30.23 per ordinary hour from 1 March 2026, the same floor as general workers. For earners below the BCEA section 6(3) threshold, a working day shorter than four hours must be paid for four hours.
What is the farm worker minimum wage?
Farm workers receive R30.23 per ordinary hour from 1 March 2026. Higher contractual or collective rates still apply.
How much is the minimum wage per month?
There is no single monthly wage for every schedule. At R30.23 per hour, eight hours a day and five days a week gives R5,239.87 gross per month using BCEA section 35(3): weekly wages × 13/3. This is an average regular monthly conversion, not the pay for every calendar month.
When does the minimum wage change?
The current gazette took effect on 1 March 2026. The National Minimum Wage Commission reviews the rate annually; check the published gazette for the next effective date.
Source: Government Gazette No. 54075, Notice R. 7083 (3 February 2026). Source verification: 13 October 2026. An estimate for planning; seek qualified labour/payroll advice for a dispute or a sector-specific wage.