South Africa - Increase in the National Minimum Wage Rates

South Africa - Increase in the National Minimum Wage Rates

The Minister of Employment and Labour published Government Gazette 48094 on 21 February 2023, increasing the following minimum wages effective 1 March 2023:

The National Minimum Wage

  1.  Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of the National Minimum Wage Act (NMWA).
  2. Effective 1 March 2023, the National Minimum Wage rates will increase -
    1. from R23.19 to R25.42 per hour,
    2. from R23.19 to R25.42 per hour for farm workers,
    3. from R23.19 to R25.42 per hour for domestic workers,
    4. from R12.75 to R13.97 per hour for workers employed on expanded public works programme, and
    5. to the weekly allowances in the table below for workers who have concluded learnership agreements contemplated in section 17 of the Skills Development Levies Act.

NQF Level

Credits already earned by employer

Minimum allowance per week

Previous rate

New rate

Level 1 to 2

0 - 120

R 349.04

R 382.55

121 - 240

R 698.05

R 765.06

Level 3

0 - 120

R 349.04

R 382.55

121 - 240

R 657.38

R 720.49

241 - 360

R1 076.19

R1 179.50

Level 4

0 - 120

R 349.04

R 382.55

121 - 240

R 698.11

R 765.13

241 - 360

R1 076.11

R1 179.50

361 - 480

R1 570.63

R1 721.41

Level 5 to 8

0 - 120

R 349.04

R 382.55

121 - 240

R 756.20

R 828.80

241 - 360

R1 131.44

R1 240.06

361 - 480

R1 593.94

R1 746.96

481 - 600

R2 036.00

R2 231.46

  1. One of the qualifying criteria for ETI is that the employee must earn at least the higher of the applicable National Minimum Wage rate or the minimum rate specified by the wage regulating measure.
  2. If an employer cannot afford to pay the National Minimum Wage, then the employer can apply online for exemption from the National Minimum Wage Act.

Contract cleaning sector minimum wages:

  1. Sectoral Determination 1.
  2.  Effective 1 March 2023, employers should pay the minimum wages as contained in Government Gazette.

Wholesale and retail sector minimum wages:

  1. Sectoral Determination 9.
  2. Effective 1 March 2023, employers should pay the minimum wages as contained in Government Gazette.