Employment and Labour Minister, Thulas Nxesi, has recently announced that the minimum wage of farmworkers and domestic workers has been raised by 9.6%. The increase is due to take effect from 01 March 2023.
Teboho Thejane, a spokesperson for the Labour Department, said that the raise will also apply to people who work in the cleaning industry, wholesale and retail, learnership allowances, and the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).
Farmworkers and domestic workers will see a percentage rise that translates to R25,42 per hour, while the EPWP will see an R13,97 increase over the same period. The cleaning industry will receive R27,97 in metropolitan regions and R25,50 elsewhere in the nation.
He went on to say that almost 900 000 domestic workers and 800 000 farmer workers will benefit from the increase.
This significant increase will benefit 892 000 domestic workers who are overwhelmingly women, and 800 000 farm workers.
The wage increase decision was well received by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) which stated that it will help cushion their buying power and their ability to care for their families.
“The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the government’s announcement of above-inflation increases for the National Minimum Wage and BCEA Annual Income Threshold. The CPI plus 2% increase will see the National Minimum Wage increase from R23.19 to R25.42 per hour from the 1st of March 2023.”
The National Minimum Wage Act was approved to safeguard low-wage employees in South Africa and serve as a platform for the reduction of inequality, according to Minister Nxesi. Roughly 6 million workers in South Africa have benefited from the implementation of a minimum wage, which is a major labour market intervention
