South Africa National Minimum Wage Increase

South Africa's Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth announced an increase in the statutory National Minimum Wage (NMW) from R28.79 to R30.23 per hour, effective March 1, 2026. This R1.44 upward adjustment aims to benefit all workers, including vulnerable farm and domestic workers. Workers under the South Africa===Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) will see their minimum wage rise from R15.16 to R16.62 per hour, as they are under a special dispensation. The National Minimum Wage Act, which came into effect in 2019, mandates employers to pay a minimum hourly amount, subject to annual review. Violations are subject to fines enforced by the South Africa===Department of Employment and Labour and the South Africa===Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). The NMW does not apply to members of the South Africa===South African National Defence Force, the National Intelligence Agency, the South Africa===South African Secret Service, or volunteers, and excludes allowances like transport, tools, food, accommodation, payments in kind, tips, bonuses, and gifts.