Domestic workers earn below minimum wage — rising costs leave them in the red

South Africa’s domestic workers are supporting households on incomes that fall short of basic living costs. The 2025 Sweepsouth Report on Domestic Worker Pay and Working Conditions revealed that 92% of these workers are women, many juggling jobs, studies and family responsibilities.

Dimakatso Mokoena, a domestic worker from Germiston, said she began part-time work in this vocation in 2021 to fund her education. “Alongside my studies, I co-finance household expenses with my mother, for the two of us and my little sister, who is also pursuing her studies.” 

She said that she took on the responsibility of working so that her sister could continue her education uninterrupted. “I’m grateful she accepted my advice, and I will be honoured to see my hard work pay off when she graduates.”

Her story is echoed in the report’s figures, which show that the arithmetic of household labour rarely works in favour of the worker. 

Minimum wage out of reach 

Domestic workers are legally aligned with the National Minimum Wage, currently set at R28.79 per hour. Despite this, 39% of respondents in the Sweepsouth survey still earn less. 

“The national minimum wage for domestic workers is still young. So it’s in its early stages,” Sweepsouth CEO Lourandi Kriel said. She added that enforcement was complicated by a fragmented industry and the “lag effect” where employers either did not know about the regulations or were unwilling to adjust. 

Read more: Behind closed doors — Harsh realities faced by domestic workers amid rising costs and insecurity

Household services are especially vulnerable to economic pressures. “Domestic work is very price-elastic,” Kriel said. “When [there are] challenges in an economy like ours, consumers either cut domestic work as a whole or they try to pay less.” 

The report shows that women earn less than men on average – R35.52 an hour compared with R39.12. South Africans also generally earn less than foreign nationals in the same roles. 

Costs outpace pay 

The median monthly income for domestic workers is R3,635. The cost of a basic household basket is R4,500, leaving most with a sizeable shortfall. 

The Competition Commission’s latest Cost of Living Report, published this month, highlights why. “Poorer households have consistently experienced the highest inflation rates, highlighting the heightened vulnerability of low-income populations to economic shocks,” the report said. 

Between 2020 and 2025, electricity tariffs rose 68%. Water bills climbed 50%. Food prices for basics such as bread, eggs and maize meal remained high, even when production costs came down. “The average South African worker spends 57% of their monthly earnings on transport and electricity, a figure that leaves little room for food and other essential expenses,” the report noted. 

Read more: New report reveals cost of living crisis deepening for South Africa’s poor

Education has not provided relief either. Public school fees have increased by 37% for primary schools and 42% for secondary schools since 2020. 

Fragile safety nets

The Sweepsouth report found that 72% of domestic workers don’t earn enough to save money at all. Only 13% have any retirement savings. A third are in debt, with the median amount owed at R3,725. 

Even though Mokoena is debt-free, budgeting remains difficult for her. “My income and expenses vary, so saving requires budgeting, which I haven’t fully committed to yet. Paying for my studies takes priority as an investment in the future.”

Formal protections remain limited in practice. Domestic workers are legally entitled to unemployment insurance and workplace injury cover, but many are not registered. Medical aid is unaffordable for most, leaving government clinics as the only option, but, as Kriel pointed out, “For something simple like picking up pills, they have to take a whole day off to go to the clinic.” 

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“The domestic worker feels vulnerable. They don’t push for minimum wage because they just want a job,” Kriel said. “These are the most marginalised women in society. They are not used to standing up for themselves. Often they will just work to put bread on the table.” 

Searching for better options

Sweepsouth has attempted to address some of these gaps through its platform. The company is piloting a healthcare scheme called “my home hub”, where multiple employers contribute to cover a worker’s basic medical insurance. Kriel said that many employers are willing to pay an additional R100 a month to support this. 

Read more: Battle continues for medical schemes to offer low-cost benefit options

Education is another area of focus. The report shows that 86% of domestic workers want to study further. Mokoena is using part of her salary to pay for her studies at the University of South Africa, where she is pursuing a Higher Certificate in Economics and Management Sciences. 

The Sweepsouth pla

tform includes pathways into childcare and eldercare — sectors that are expected to grow substantially. Training cycles can be as short as six weeks with a better salary, Kriel said, making it a feasible option for many already in the industry of looking after others. 

“Domestic work used to be in what they call the shadow economy. It was there, but it was never transparent. Now 8.8% of the care economy is also in the shadow economy, so this is a huge market.” She argued that South Africa was well positioned to grow this market into a formalised source of jobs for young people. 

The report calls for stronger enforcement of minimum wage laws and more affordable access to education and training. Kriel also suggests that employers think beyond compliance and pay living wages while acknowledging the broader social role domestic workers play.

While progress has been made, South Africa’s domestic workers are still operating at the margins of financial stability. Household budgets do not balance, costs keep climbing and safety nets are full of holes. DM