Department minister Mildred Oliphant announced that in terms of sectorial determination 1, the minimum wages will be adjusted upwards for employees in Area A and Area B. Area A (Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality and Lesedi Local Municipality) refers to large metropolitan municipalities and built up areas and suburbs. Here are the new minimum wages for Area A:

Domestic workers who work 27 ordinary hours a week or more

Hourly rate – R11.44; weekly rate – R514.82; monthly rate – R2230.70

Domestic workers who work less than 27 ordinary hours a week

Hourly rate – R13.39; weekly rate – R361.50; monthly rate – R1566.35

To put the minimum figures into perspective, research from the School of Economic and Business Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand showed that the estimated cost of essential food and non-food items needed to survive is R1 319 for one person  and R5 276 for a household of four. Previous research showed that as many as 45% of workers are paid below the established minimum wage.