Nearly 400 000 domestic workers have lost jobs

SOUTH Africa's domestic work sector has been dealt a severe blow, with nearly 400 000 jobs lost over the past five years.

- WENDY DONDOLO

This is according to SweepSouth’s Domestic Worker Pay and Working Conditions Report, which warns of mounting hardship as rising costs continue to outpace wages.

One of the main reasons for job losses is families moving, with most of those who moved having emigrated overseas. Other families are simply cutting back on spending.

SweepSouth CEO Lourandi Kriel said that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, there were about 1.2 million domestic workers in South Africa, but this number has now dropped to just over 839000 in the second quarter of 2025.

“So the decline in domestic workers is due to a multitude of factors. The economy hasn't grown, and because of the tough economic conditions, some families can’t afford domestic help, and also some of them are probably emigrating,” Kriel explained.