Hiring a domestic worker in South Africa is an employment relationship like any other, with its own set of rules. The person who cleans your home, does the washing and ironing, looks after the children or cooks for the family is an employee under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, and the details of the job are set out in Sectoral Determination 7 for the domestic worker sector. Getting it right from the first day protects both of you: the worker gets the pay, leave and cover they are entitled to, and you avoid a CCMA dispute or a Labour inspector’s visit you are not ready for.
This guide walks through the whole process for a household in Gauteng, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal or anywhere else in the country: deciding what you need, writing the job description, checks, the written contract, UIF and COIDA registration, pay and hours, leave, and what happens if it does not work out. It does not give Rand figures, because the minimum wage changes every year; it tells you where to check.
Decide what kind of domestic worker you need
Before you ask anyone, write down what the job actually is. “A domestic” means different things to different families, and most disagreements later start with duties that were never agreed.
- Days and hours: one day a week, two or three days, or full time Monday to Friday. The rules on UIF, leave and notice all depend on how many hours the person works for you.
- Live-in or live-out: a live-in worker needs a room that meets basic standards, and there are strict limits on what you may deduct for it. A live-out worker needs a safe way to get to you and home again, which matters for early starts and late finishes.
- Duties: cleaning, laundry and ironing, cooking, childcare, school runs, caring for an elderly parent, or looking after pets. Childcare and caring for an elderly person are skilled work; do not add them “on the side” without saying so and paying for it.
- Special requirements: a driver’s licence for school runs, a language the children speak, experience with a baby or a person with dementia.
If the main job is looking after children, see our guide to hiring a nanny for the questions to ask; the South African employment rules in this article still apply to a nanny, because a nanny employed by a household is a domestic worker under Sectoral Determination 7.
Writing the job post for a domestic worker
A clear post saves you from dozens of messages that do not fit. State the suburb or area (not your street address), the days and hours, live-in or live-out, the main duties, any requirement such as a driver’s licence, and how you will pay. Say that the job comes with a written contract and UIF registration: good, experienced candidates look for that line, because it tells them you are a serious employer.
Avoid wording that shuts people out unfairly. Asking for “a woman from a specific group” or setting an age range that has nothing to do with the work is discrimination under the Employment Equity Act. Describe the job and the skills, not the type of person. For more on wording, see how to write a job post.
Checks before you hire: references, documents and a trial day
References
The most useful check is a conversation with previous employers. Ask how long the person worked there, what the duties were, whether they were reliable about time and trustworthy in the house, and why the job ended. A reference letter on its own is weak, because anyone can type one; ask for a phone number and call.
Identity and right to work
You need to see an ID document, or for a foreign national a passport and a valid permit that allows work. Many domestic workers in South Africa come from neighbouring countries, and the permit rules for some groups have changed several times in recent years. Hiring a person without the right to work is an offence, so if you are unsure about a permit, check with the Department of Home Affairs rather than guessing. You will need the ID or passport number for UIF registration anyway.
Police clearance and the Protection of Personal Information Act
A police clearance certificate is something the person applies for themselves, and it costs them time and money. Ask for it only from the person you intend to hire, at the end of the process. Whatever you collect, keep it securely and do not share it: the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) applies to a household employer as well.
A paid trial day
A trial day is a good way to see whether you work well together. It is work, so pay for it at least at the minimum wage for the hours worked, and agree the arrangement in advance.
Post a free job on Hirovo with the area, days, hours and duties. People nearby who do domestic and cleaning work can apply or message you, and you decide who to meet.
Post a free job →The written contract: what Sectoral Determination 7 requires
When a domestic worker starts, you must give them the written particulars of employment. In practice that means a simple written contract, signed by both of you, with a copy for the worker. It does not have to be long or legal-sounding, but it must cover the basics.
| What to write down | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Names, address, start date | Identifies the employer and the workplace. |
| Job title and duties | Stops duties growing quietly over the years. |
| Days, ordinary hours and meal breaks | Hours drive pay, overtime and leave. |
| Pay per hour, day or month, and pay day | Must be at least the national minimum wage for the hours worked. |
| Overtime, Sunday and public holiday rates | Higher rates apply; agree how they are paid. |
| Deductions (UIF, and accommodation only if the legal conditions are met) | Deductions are strictly limited; anything else needs the worker’s written agreement and must be lawful. |
| Leave (annual, sick, family responsibility) | Avoids arguments about days taken. |
| Notice period | One week in the first six months, four weeks after that. |
| Accommodation terms for a live-in worker | What the room includes and what happens when employment ends. |
You must also give a payslip every pay day showing the hours worked, the pay, any deductions and the net amount. A handwritten slip is fine as long as it has the information; keep a copy. Keep the records for at least three years.
UIF and COIDA registration for domestic workers
Unemployment Insurance Fund
If your domestic worker works for you more than 24 hours a month, you must register with the Unemployment Insurance Fund and declare them. You can do it online through uFiling on the Department of Employment and Labour’s website, or at a labour centre. Each month, you deduct 1% of the worker’s pay, add 1% of your own, and pay both to the Fund.
It is worth doing properly. UIF is what pays the worker when they lose the job, fall ill for a long time or take maternity leave. A worker who was never declared finds this out at the worst possible moment, and the employer can be held liable for arrears. If your worker also works for other households, each of you registers and pays for your own hours.
Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act
Since the Constitutional Court’s Mahlangu judgment in 2020, domestic workers are covered by COIDA. As the employer, you register with the Compensation Fund and submit an annual return of earnings; the Fund then assesses what you pay. If your worker is injured at work, a claim goes through the Fund. The process and forms change from time to time, so check the current steps with the Department of Employment and Labour or a labour centre.
Minimum wage, hours and overtime
Domestic workers are entitled to at least the national minimum wage under the National Minimum Wage Act 9 of 2018. The rate is per hour, it is reviewed every year, and the new rate usually applies from 1 March. Check the current figure with the Department of Employment and Labour each year and adjust pay if needed: paying last year’s rate after March is a common and avoidable mistake.
The minimum is a floor, not a guide to fair pay. What you pay above it should reflect the duties (cooking and childcare are more skilled than cleaning), experience, whether the job is live-in, the number of people in the house, and travel time and cost for a live-out worker.
Ordinary hours are limited to 45 a week, and overtime must be agreed and paid at a higher rate. Work on a Sunday or a public holiday also carries a higher rate. If your worker is on standby at night, for example to help with a baby, or regularly stays late, write it into the contract and pay for it; there are specific rules for standby in the sectoral determination.
Leave: annual, sick, family responsibility and maternity
- Annual leave: a full-time domestic worker is entitled to three weeks’ paid leave per year. Agree when it is taken; December is common, but it should suit both of you.
- Sick leave: paid sick leave is calculated over a three-year cycle, with a smaller entitlement during the first six months. You may ask for a medical certificate for longer absences or frequent sick days, as set out in the rules.
- Family responsibility leave: paid days for events such as the birth or serious illness of a child, or the death of a close family member, for workers who meet the conditions.
- Maternity and parental leave: the worker is entitled to unpaid maternity leave from you, and UIF may pay benefits if she was registered. The rules for parental leave have been through the courts recently, so check the current position with the Department.
- Public holidays: if the worker would normally work that day, it is paid; if they agree to work, the rate is higher.
Part-time workers have leave too, worked out on the days they work for you. Keep a simple leave record, even a notebook signed by both of you.
When it does not work out: notice, dismissal and the CCMA
Either side can end the employment with written notice: one week if the worker has been with you for six months or less, and four weeks after that. For a live-in worker, the room also comes into it, and there are rules about how long they may stay after employment ends.
Notice does not make a dismissal fair on its own. Under the Labour Relations Act, you need a fair reason, such as misconduct or poor performance that did not improve after you raised it, and a fair process: tell the worker what the problem is, give them a chance to respond, and keep notes. If the worker believes the dismissal was unfair, they can refer a dispute to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), which is free for them. Many household disputes end up there because nothing was written down. If you are unsure, get advice before you act.
When employment ends, pay what is due: pay for days worked, any leave not taken, and notice pay if the worker did not work the notice period. Give a certificate of service, and complete the UIF form the worker needs to claim benefits.
Finding a domestic worker through a Hirovo post
Hirovo is new in South Africa, and posting a job is free. You describe the job, the area, the days and hours, and people nearby who do domestic, cleaning or care work can see it and apply or message you in the app. You read the replies, choose who to meet and make the decision.
Be clear about what Hirovo is and is not. It is not an agency and does not place workers: it does not vet applicants, check references, ID documents or permits, or run police checks. The checks in this guide are yours to make, and the employment relationship, with its contract, UIF and COIDA, is between you and the worker. Share your street address by message only once you have chosen someone to meet, and meet for the interview at a time when another adult is at home.
Before the first day, check you have:
- Called at least one previous employer;
- Seen the ID document, or passport and valid work permit;
- A signed written contract, with a copy for the worker;
- Checked this year’s national minimum wage with the Department of Employment and Labour;
- Registered for UIF (over 24 hours a month) and with the Compensation Fund for COIDA;
- A payslip ready for the first pay day and a simple leave record.
In short
A domestic worker in South Africa is an employee, with rights under the BCEA and Sectoral Determination 7. Decide the job first, write a clear post, call references and check the ID or permit. Then put it in writing: a signed contract, pay at or above this year’s national minimum wage, a payslip every pay day, UIF and COIDA registration, and leave recorded. If it does not work out, give proper notice and follow a fair process. Done this way, the arrangement is clear from day one, and a good worker has every reason to stay.