The gap between what domestic workers earn and what they need to live is widening

08 September 2025 – 13:49

by Luyolo Mkentane

The eighth annual report by Sweepsouth, an online home services platform, shows domestic workers battling mental health as they swim against an avalanche of debt, hardship and job insecurity, with rising living costs outpacing their stagnant wages. 

The Domestic Worker Pay and Working Conditions Report 2025, based on responses from 5,039 domestic workers nationwide, shows one in three of the 839,000 domestic workers in SA still earns below the minimum wage of R28.79 per hour as living costs shoot through the roof. ..