How the minimum wage calculator works
Last updated 10 November 2026
South Africa sets a legal minimum for pay by the hour. This page turns that hourly rate into weekly and monthly pay for the hours a person works, and checks a wage against it. It uses the rates in the government gazette that took effect on 1 March 2026.
How it works
- Choose the type of worker. Most people use the national minimum wage.
- Enter the ordinary hours worked in a week.
- Optionally enter the pay received and whether it is per hour, week or month.
- Read the minimum for your hours and the shortfall, if any.
Worked example
With the starting figures:
- For a worker covered by the national minimum wage (most workers), the minimum is R 30.23 an hour, R 1 360.35 a week and R 5 894.40 a month at 45 hours a week.
- Pay of R 5 000.00 a month is about R 25.64 an hour, which is R 894.40 a month short of the minimum.
From an hourly rate to monthly pay
The minimum is set per ordinary hour. To find the weekly minimum, multiply it by the hours worked in a week. To find the monthly minimum, multiply the weekly figure by 4.333. That is the method the Department of Employment and Labour uses in its own flyer, which gives the same results as this tool for 40 and 45 hours.
Who gets a different rate
Farm workers and domestic workers are on the national rate. Workers on the Expanded Public Works Programme have a lower rate of R 16.62 an hour. Contract cleaning has its own rates in two areas. Other sector rates, such as wholesale and retail, taxi, hospitality, private security and civil engineering, are not shown. Some of those determinations are outdated or follow bargaining council agreements, and we could not confirm the figures.
Where the figures come from
The rates come from Government Gazette 54075 of 3 February 2026 and the Minister’s statement the same day. The hours method comes from the Department’s flyer. The earnings threshold comes from the Department’s media statement of 21 April 2026, because we could not read the gazette notice itself. We read them on 10 November 2026. The figures register shows the source and the date for each one.
What the minimum does not include
The minimum is for ordinary hours. Overtime, Sunday work and public holiday work are paid on top. Employers may deduct only what the law allows. If you think you are underpaid, the Department of Employment and Labour handles complaints. This page is information from public documents, not legal advice. Read the full disclaimer.
Things to watch
- The rate changes each year, usually from 1 March. The rate from 1 March 2027 has not been announced.
- A sector with its own determination or bargaining council agreement may have different rates.
Related: the leave calculator, the UIF calculator and the salary breakdown calculator.