Minimum Wage Guide
3 min read — Updated February 2026
Current Minimum Wage Rates (2026)
Effective 1 March 2026, the national minimum wage is R30.23 per hour. This applies to most workers including domestic workers, general workers, and casual workers.
- General / Domestic / Casual workers: R30.23/hour (R241.84/day, ~R5,870/month)
- Farm workers: R28.50/hour (R228.00/day, ~R5,544/month)
- Learnership workers: R18.14/hour (varies by sector)
Paying below minimum wage is illegal. Penalties include fines and back-pay orders from the Department of Labour.
How Monthly Rates Are Calculated
The monthly rate assumes 45 hours per week (the maximum ordinary working hours under the BCEA). Daily rates assume an 8-hour working day. If your employee works fewer hours, calculate their pay based on actual hours worked × the hourly rate.
How SA Wages Pro Helps
When you add an employee or update their pay rate, SA Wages Pro automatically checks it against the current minimum wage for their worker type. If the rate is below minimum, you'll see a warning alert. The Compliance Dashboard also tracks minimum wage compliance across all your employees.
Use our Minimum Wage Calculator in the Help Center Tools section to quickly check rates for different worker types and hours.
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