South Africa’s domestic work sector remains under sustained pressure, with employment still well below pre-pandemic levels even as the national minimum wage rises again from March. New data from Statistics South Africa indicates that the number of people working as domestic workers has not returned to 2019 levels, underscoring a longer-term decline that unions and worker advocates say is being worsened by weak enforcement inside private homes.
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the fourth quarter of 2025 shows that “domestic worker” employment increased slightly from the previous quarter, but still recorded a year-on-year decline. Over a longer period, the picture is more severe: domestic worker employment has dropped by roughly 158,000 since the fourth quarter of 2019, a decline of about 15.6%.
What the latest official data shows
Stats SA’s QLFS places domestic workers at about 855,000 in October to December 2025. That was around 7,000 higher than the previous quarter, but around 7,000 lower than a year earlier.
In the same dataset, employment in “private households” as an industry, the category that includes domestic work, also shows a mixed picture. Private household employment rose by about 18,000 from the third to the fourth quarter of 2025, but was down about 17,000 compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
Comparing the current domestic worker total to the final quarter before the pandemic provides the clearest trend line. In the fourth quarter of 2019, Stats SA recorded domestic worker employment at about 1,013,000. The current estimate of 855,000 is about 158,000 lower than that 2019 benchmark.
Why this is being described as a major blow
Domestic work has historically been one of South Africa’s largest sources of employment for women and for people with limited access to formal job markets. When jobs disappear in this sector, many workers struggle to find replacement income quickly, and households that depend on domestic work wages often have limited buffers against food and transport price increases.
Business reporting linked to the latest QLFS results has noted that domestic work has struggled to recover for several years, with employment rarely moving above about 880,000 across multiple quarters. The same reporting points to a combination of strained household finances and changing employment patterns since the pandemic.
Worker organisations and unions argue that what makes the situation more difficult is that many domestic workers remain informally employed, with limited bargaining power and limited protection when they challenge underpayment or non-compliance.
Minimum wage goes up from 1 March
The minimum wage increase is real and legally binding, but domestic worker leaders say it is not enough without enforcement.
A Government Gazette notice published under the National Minimum Wage Act sets the national minimum wage at R30.23 per ordinary hour worked, and confirms that domestic workers are entitled to the same hourly minimum. The notice also fixes 1 March 2026 as the date the amendment becomes binding.
At R30.23 per hour, a full eight-hour day equates to a minimum of R241.84 before any lawful deductions. A 45-hour week equates to R1,360.35. A 160-hour month equates to R4,836.80. These figures provide a practical benchmark for workers to assess whether they are being paid at least the minimum wage.
What workers say is happening in private homes
In interviews reported in February, domestic workers and union representatives said the wage increase often exists on paper but not in practice. One worker quoted by IOL said: “I still get paid R223 per day,” adding that raising the issue with an employer can lead to conflict or reduced workdays.
Pinky Mashiane, founder and president of the United Domestic Workers of South Africa (UDWOSA), was quoted saying that the union continues to receive complaints from workers paid below the legal minimum and workers who are not registered for UIF. She also called for “visibility of labour inspectors in private households,” arguing that non-compliance persists because enforcement is rare.
Domestic worker representatives have also raised concerns about retaliation. IOL reported claims that workers who query wages risk losing days of work or being dismissed, and that even when workers approach the CCMA, outcomes can still leave them worse off financially if hours are reduced after a dispute.
The compliance burden and why it matters
Domestic work sits in a unique position in labour enforcement because the workplace is a private home. This creates practical barriers to inspections, even when legal rights exist on paper.
There are also compliance requirements that household employers must meet. For example, government guidance states that any employee, including a domestic worker, who works for an employer for more than 24 hours per month must be registered with the Unemployment Insurance Fund.
In addition, government guidance on the Compensation Fund states that employers must register and pay an annual assessment fee based on workers’ earnings and the risks associated with the type of work being done.
Worker advocates argue that the gap between legal rules and real-life compliance leaves domestic workers exposed in three ways:
- Underpayment becomes normalised because workers fear losing their jobs.
- Lack of UIF registration can block a worker from unemployment benefits.
- Lack of Compensation Fund compliance can leave workers without a clear route to support if they are injured at work.
Why households cut domestic work first
Domestic work is often one of the first expenses households reduce when budgets tighten. Rising living costs, higher interest rates over the past few years, and pressure on disposable income can lead households to reduce domestic worker days, shift to ad hoc cleaning, or end employment entirely.
When households reduce days, domestic workers can experience an immediate income shock, even if the hourly rate rises. A worker who is paid the legal hourly minimum but loses one day of work per week may still take home less overall than before.
This is one reason unions argue that stronger enforcement must be paired with practical support, including better public awareness of domestic worker rights, simplified registration tools for household employers, and predictable inspection strategies that do not place the burden solely on workers to report violations.
What to watch next
The next two developments likely to shape the domestic work sector are:
- Whether the minimum wage increase translates into higher real earnings for workers without a corresponding drop in days worked.
- Whether labour enforcement increases in a way that improves compliance with UIF registration, minimum wage rules, and other basic conditions of employment.
Stats SA’s next Quarterly Labour Force Survey releases will also be closely watched for signs of whether domestic worker job numbers stabilise or continue trending downward.
