Employers MUST register domestic workers for UIF: ‘It’s not optional’
· The South African
Employers are being warned to register their domestic workers (Unemployment Insurance Fund) or face the legal ramifications.
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The directive applies to employees who work more than 24 hours a month.
GOVERNMENT: EMPLOYERS MUST REGISTER DOMESTIC WORKERS FOR UIF
This week, the Department of Employment and Labour Inspector-General, Aggy Moiloa, warned the public about laws governing domestic workers.
“If you employ a domestic worker for 24 hours or more a month, you must register them with UIF. It’s not optional, it’s a legal obligation,” she said.
Moiloa was speaking at the National Policy Dialogue on Strengthening the Protection of Human Rights of Workers in the Informal Economy in Pretoria.
“If you employ a domestic worker for 24 hours or more a month, you must register them with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). It's not optional, it's a legal obligation." pic.twitter.com/jkTNu3AEvD
— Department of Employment and Labour (@deptoflabour) July 8, 2026
As it does in the formal sector, UIF provides temporary financial relief to a domestic worker who is dismissed, retrenched, or whose contract expires.
It also enables workers to claim maternity benefits, long-term illness coverage and a death benefit for their loved ones, in the event of their death.
Employers must contribute 2% of the domestic worker’s gross salaries: 1% is deducted from the worker, and 1% is paid directly by employers.
Failure to comply with domestic worker labour laws, such as the UIF, can result in employers being penalised with hefty fines of up to R500 000.
Information on how to register with the UIF is available on the Department of Labour website.
MINIMUM WAGE 2026
Earlier this year, the Department of Employment and Labour officially confirmed the 2026 national minimum wage increase at 5%, or an additional R1.44 per hour.
All paid employees will now earn R30.23 per ordinary hour worked, up from last year’s R28.79.
What does the minimum wage increase mean for your domestic worker – and your pocket?
For most domestic workers, the hourly rate translates to a weekly rate of R1360.35 (based on a 45-hour working week) and a monthly rate of R5,894.40 (based on an average month of 4.3 weeks or 195 hours worked).
Here is a breakdown…
8 hours a day (R241,84), 5 days a week (excluding 1 hour lunch break), 195 hours per month = R5,894.40.
The increase – which applies to both casual and permanent employment – came into effect on 1 March 2026.
The figure factors in a 3.5% Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation, and an additional 1.5% in percentage points.