South Africa’s National Minimum Wage to rise to R30.23 an hour from March

SOUTH Africa's National Minimum Wage (NMW) will increase to R30.23 per hour from 1 March, the Department of Employment and Labour has confirmed, offering relief to millions of low-paid workers but renewing pressure on employers to comply with the law.

- PHILIPPA LARKIN

The increase, implemented in terms of the National Minimum Wage Act of 2018, is set out in Schedule 1 of Government Gazette No. 54075 dated February 3, 2026. It represents an above-inflation adjustment of 5%, or R1.44 per hour, and is estimated to affect approximately 5.5 million workers across the economy.

The revised wage applies across all sectors, including farm and domestic workers, whose minimum hourly rates remain fully aligned with the national wage floor. Workers employed under the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) will earn a minimum of R16.62 per hour, while learners under approved learnership agreements will receive updated allowances in line with Schedule 2 of the Act.

“The National Minimum Wage is not a guideline or a target, it is a legal floor,” said John Botha, Joint CEO Global Business Solutions, warning that employers who pay below the prescribed rate expose themselves to enforcement action, compliance orders and administrative fines.