South Africa’s national minimum wage (NMW) has been raised from US$1.55 to US$1.66 per hour starting from March this year, Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi has announced.
As in previous years, the wage adjustment provided exceptions for several worker groups, Nxesi said late Tuesday.
Groups included in the new wages include farm and domestic workers who were entitled to a minimum wage of US$1.55 per hour before the adjustment, the minister said.
“It is illegal and unfair labour practices for an employer to unilaterally change working hours or other employment conditions in order to implement the national minimum wage,” he said.
He added: “The NMW is the amount payable for ordinary hours of work and excludes payment of allowances (such as transportation, tools, food, or lodging), payments in kind (board or lodging), tips, bonuses, and gifts.”
A 2018 labour law required the National Minimum Wage Commission to review the rates on an annual basis and to make recommendations to the minister on any changes to the NMW, while also taking into account alternative viewpoints – including those of the general public.
When determining the annual adjustment, the commission considered inflation, the cost of living, and the need to maintain the value of the minimum wage and gross domestic product.
NM/jn/APA