National Minimum Wage Increases to R30.23 per Hour
Summary
The Minister of Employment and Labour Nomakhosazana Meth has announced an increase in South Africa's National Minimum Wage from R28.79 to R30.23 per hour, effective 1 March 2026 — a R1.44 increase affecting all workers including farm workers and domestic workers. The announcement, made on 03 February 2026, also raises the Expanded Public Works Programme minimum from R15.16 to R16.62 per hour. The NMW is enforced by the Department and the CCMA, with violations subject to fines by the inspectorate.
South African employers should verify their lowest-paid employees are scheduled to receive at least R30.23 per hour from 1 March 2026, noting that allowances (transport, tools, food, accommodation, tips, bonuses, gifts) are excluded from the NMW calculation. Domestic workers and farm workers are explicitly included — these are the most common sectors where inadvertent underpayment occurs. The prohibition on varying NMW by contract or collective agreement means any existing employment contracts with lower rates are void to that extent.
About this source
GovPing monitors South Africa Labour Press for new labor & employment regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 3 changes logged to date.
What changed
The National Minimum Wage has been amended through an annual review, raising the statutory minimum from R28.79 to R30.23 per hour effective 1 March 2026. This R1.44 increase applies to all workers as the legally obligated floor wage, which cannot be varied by contract, collective agreement, or unilateral employer action. EPWP workers receive a separate lower rate of R16.62 per hour.
Employers in South Africa must update their payroll systems to reflect the new minimum of R30.23 per hour before 1 March 2026. Unilateral reduction of hours or alteration of employment conditions to offset the wage increase constitutes an unfair labour practice. The CCMA will adjudicate disputes and the inspectorate will enforce compliance with fines for violations.
Penalties
Violations of the National Minimum Wage Act are subject to fines enforced by the Department of Employment and Labour inspectorate.
Archived snapshot
Apr 23, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Minister of Employment and Labour, Meth increases the statutory National Minimum Wage to R30,23 per hour 03 February 2026
Employment and Labour Minister, Nomakhosazana Meth today (03 February 2026) announced a rise in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) rates for 2026 from R28,79 to R30,23 for each ordinary hour worked.
Meth said: “The 1 st of March 2026 is the date on which this amendment shall become binding".
The R1,44 upward move will benefit all workers, including vulnerable farm workers and domestic workers.
Excluded in the NMW increase will be workers employed on an expanded public works programme. Because the EPWP workers are employed under a special dispensation their adjustment will rise from R15,16 per hour to a minimum wage of R16,62 per hour; and (d) workers who have concluded learnership agreements contemplated in section 17 of the Skills Development Act, 1998 (Act No. 97 of 1998), are entitled to the allowances contained in Schedule 2. The rates on learnerships will be published in the departmental website.
The National Minimum Wage is South Africa's labour market statutory requirement. The National Minimum Wage Act came into effect in 2019. In terms of the legislation - employers are obligated to pay workers a minimum amount per hour. The National Minimum Wage is subject to an annual review.
Any violations of the Act are subject to fines enforced by the inspectorate. The National Minimum Wage is enforced by the department, and Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
The NMW is the floor which an employer is legally obligated to remunerate employees for work done. No employee shall be paid below the National Minimum Wage. It cannot be varied by contract, collective agreement or law; and it is also an unfair labour practice for an employer to unilaterally alter hours of work or other conditions of employment in implementing the NMW.
In terms of the latest NMW adjustments, the rates in the Sectoral Determination for areas and rates, work categories for Contract Cleaning Sector, plus those of the Wholesale and Retail Sector are also made available in the Departmental website (www.labour.gov.za).
The NMW Act applies to all workers and their employers except members of the South African National Defence Force, the National Intelligence Agency and the South African Secret Service. Also, it does not apply to a volunteer, who is a person who performs work for another person and who does not receive or is not entitled to receive, any remuneration for his or her service.
The NMW does not include allowances (such as transport, tools, food or accommodation) payments in kind (board or lodging), tips, bonuses and gifts among others.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Teboho Thejane
Departmental Spokesperson
082 697 0694/ teboho.thejane@labour.gov.za ******
-ENDS-
Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour
No No No No © 2019 - The South African Department of Employment & Labour
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