National Minimum Wage 2026: Full Sector Breakdown
The National Minimum Wage Act (Act 9 of 2018) sets a floor below which no employer in South Africa may pay. The 2026 rate applies from 1 March 2026 following the annual review. Here is the complete sector table:
| Sector | Hourly Minimum Wage (2026) |
|---|---|
| General workers (all sectors) | R30.23 |
| Domestic workers | R30.23 |
| Farm workers | R30.23 |
| Contract cleaning (metropolitan areas) | R33.27 |
| Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) | R16.62 |
Key 2026 change: domestic and farm worker parity
From 1 March 2026, domestic workers and farm workers are entitled to the same R30.23/hr as all other workers. Previously, domestic workers earned R27.58/hr. This convergence to a single national rate is a significant change for employers in these sectors.
Note on sector-specific determinations
Some sectors (retail, hospitality, security, cleaning) have their own sectoral determinations that may set wages higher than the NMW. The NMW is the floor — your sector determination may require more. Always check your sector's current determination.
The 2026 National Minimum Wage applies from 1 March 2026 — all sectors must comply or face DoL penalties.
Converting the Hourly Rate to Monthly Salary
Most SA employment contracts state monthly salaries. Here is the standard conversion based on BCEA maximum hours:
Working hours: 45 hrs/week (BCEA maximum)
Working weeks per month: 4.33 (average)
Monthly hours: 45 × 4.33 = 195 hours/month
| Sector | Hourly Rate | Monthly Equivalent (195 hrs) |
|---|---|---|
| General workers | R30.23 | R5,895/month |
| Domestic workers | R30.23 | R5,895/month |
| Farm workers | R30.23 | R5,895/month |
Paying R1 below this is a violation
Any employee working 45 hours per week must earn at least the monthly equivalent above. Paying below this — even by R1 — is a violation of the National Minimum Wage Act and subjects you to immediate compliance orders.
Annual Adjustment History
The National Minimum Wage is reviewed annually and effective from 1 March each year. The 2026 rate of R30.23/hr is a 5% increase from 2025, announced by Minister of Employment and Labour Nomakhosazana Meth in February 2026 (CPI plus 1.5%):
| Year | General Workers (per hr) | % Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | R21.69/hr | +6.9% |
| 2023 | R23.19/hr | +6.9% |
| 2024 | R25.42/hr | +9.6% |
| 2025 | R28.79/hr | +13.3% |
| 2026 | R30.23/hr | +5.0% |
Overtime Rules Under the BCEA
Paying above the minimum wage does not exempt you from overtime rules. The BCEA requires:
Ordinary hours
Maximum 45 hours per week, 9 hours per day (5-day week)
Overtime rate
1.5× the employee's ordinary rate. At R30.23/hr regular rate → R45.35/hr overtime. These overtime rules apply unless the employee earns above the BCEA earnings threshold of R261,748.45/year (approximately R21,812/month).
Maximum overtime
10 hours per week. You cannot require more — the employee can refuse above this.
Alternative to overtime pay
30 minutes additional paid rest for each hour of overtime worked, with written employee agreement.
Overtime rate is non-negotiable
You cannot agree with an employee to pay less than 1.5× for overtime. Any written agreement to the contrary is invalid under the BCEA, even if the employee signs it voluntarily.
What Happens If You Pay Below the NMW?
Paying below the national minimum wage is a criminal offence. Here are the consequences:
Compliance order + back-payment with interest
ImmediateThe Department of Labour can issue a compliance order requiring full back-payment of underpaid wages plus interest. This is immediate upon inspection and not subject to appeal before payment.
Fine equal to twice the underpayment amount
Per employeeFor each affected employee, you are liable for a fine equal to double the total underpaid amount — in addition to the back-payment already owed.
Fines of up to R10,000 per employee per violation
Repeat offencesRepeat offenders face escalating fines of up to R10,000 per employee for each violation. The Department of Labour tracks compliance history.
CCMA referral for unpaid wages
CCMAAny affected employee can refer the underpayment to the CCMA as an unfair labour practice. CCMA awards for unpaid wages are enforceable by court order.
Random inspections do happen
The Department of Labour conducts random payroll inspections at businesses. If your records show wages below the NMW, the compliance order is immediate — there is no warning period. Ensure your March 2026 payroll run reflects the current rates.
BCEA record-keeping requirement
Under the BCEA, every employer must keep a written record of each employee's name and job title, hours worked each day and week, remuneration and overtime paid, and date of first employment. These records must be kept for a minimum of 3 years and are available for inspection at any time without prior notice. This applies to all employers — no minimum headcount threshold.
Sector-Specific Minimum Wages and Sectoral Determinations
Some industries have their own sectoral determinations that set wages higher than the NMW. If your sector has a sectoral determination, it overrides the national minimum wage — whichever is higher applies.
Check the Department of Labour's website for your industry's current sectoral determination before setting wages. The NMW is the floor — your sector may require a higher rate.
Keep payroll BCEA-compliant automatically.
Synthro's SimplePay integration flags employees earning below the current minimum wage threshold and keeps your payroll records audit-ready for Department of Labour inspections.
Why the Annual NMW Increase Catches Businesses Off Guard
The National Minimum Wage is reviewed annually and takes effect on 1 March each year. The Department of Employment and Labour publishes the new rate in February, giving employers approximately three to four weeks to update their payroll before the compliance deadline. This tight window is the reason so many businesses run their first payroll of the new wage year at the old rate.
The 2026 increase from R28.79 to R30.23 per hour represents a 5% adjustment. For a business employing ten general workers on the minimum wage, this is an increase of approximately R1.44 per hour per worker, or roughly R14,400 in additional annual payroll cost across the team. For a business that missed the March 2026 update and continued paying R28.79 for April and May, the underpayment exposure is approximately R2,400 per worker over two months — plus the Department of Labour's doubling penalty for each affected employee.
The compliance obligation does not only apply to base wages. Any employee paid by the hour must earn at least the NMW for every hour worked, including overtime hours and any hours worked before or after their contracted shift. Piece-rate workers, casual workers, and workers on commission must also have their effective hourly rate verified against the NMW for every pay period. If a commission worker earns less than the minimum wage would require for their hours worked, the employer is responsible for topping up the difference.
Record-keeping is the other compliance obligation that many businesses underestimate. The BCEA requires every employer to maintain written records of each employee's name and occupation, the hours worked each day and week, the remuneration and overtime paid, and the date employment started. These records must be kept for a minimum of three years and must be available for inspection by a Department of Labour inspector at any time, without prior notice. The absence of adequate records during an inspection is treated as an aggravating factor, and penalty notices issued in that context are significantly higher than for businesses with clean payroll documentation.
The practical recommendation is to treat the annual NMW announcement as a compliance event requiring a scheduled payroll review. Set a calendar reminder for the last week of February each year to check the newly published rate, update your payroll system, and confirm that no employee falls below the new threshold. For businesses using payroll software, this review typically takes under thirty minutes. For businesses managing payroll manually, it is worth processing a full payroll reconciliation before the first March payroll run to catch any rates that have not been updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the NMW apply to part-time workers?
Yes. The National Minimum Wage applies to all workers — full-time, part-time, casual, and fixed-term. There is no exemption for part-time status. A part-time employee working 4 hours per day must be paid at least R30.23 × 4 = R120.92 for that day.
Does the NMW apply to workers on commission?
Yes. Commission-based workers must still earn at least the NMW for every hour worked. If their commission in a given period falls short of what the NMW would require, you must top up the difference. Track hours carefully for commission workers.
Can I include accommodation or meals as part of the NMW?
For domestic workers, you may deduct a maximum of 10% of the minimum wage if you provide accommodation. You cannot deduct for meals or other benefits in lieu of wages on their own — the wage floor must still be met in cash.
Does the NMW apply to learners and apprentices?
SETA-registered learners in a formal learnership programme have a different wage structure under the Skills Development Act. However, employees who are informally learning on the job are still subject to the NMW. Check your SETA's learnership wage table for your sector.
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