The national minimum wage looks set to increase by inflation plus one percentage point this year, with minimum pay for domestic workers matching other workers for the first time.
According to a notice by the Department of Employment and Labour, a majority of the National Minimum Wage Commission’s commissioners recommended that the national minimum wage should be increased by one percentage point above inflation. A minority wanted the minimum wage to increase by 1.5 percentage points above inflation.
The latest consumer price index (CPI) rate is 5.5%, which means that – at current rates – a hike of one percentage point (to 6.5%) will increase the minimum wage to R23.10.
Last year, the minimum wage was hiked by 4.5% to R21.69 per hour.
All the commissioners agreed that from this year, domestic workers will earn the same national minimum wage as other workers.
