South Africans can expect a legal minimum wage of R3 500 per month as early as May next year.
The National Minimum Wage Bill, which still needs to be deliberated in parliament and signed into law by the president, was approved by cabinet in November.
The bill aims to improve the wages of the lowest paid workers. It provides for a national minimum wage of R20 for each ordinary hour (not overtime) worked and also provides for temporary exceptions to the national minimum wage for the first year.
From 1 May next year the national minimum wage for farm workers will be R18 per hour, domestic workers will be paid R16 per hour and workers in expanded public works programmes will be paid R11 per hour.
The bill also looks into minimum learnership allowances, depending on the worker’s level of qualification. Those who have an NQF1 will earn a minimum wage of R301,01 per week and those with an NQF8 will earn R1 755,84 per week.
The presidency said in a statement that once this bill takes effect employers will be expected to pay their workers no less than the national minimum wage which is to be adjusted annually.
To read the full bill, go to www.parliament.gov.za
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