The Minister of Employment and Labour published Government Notice 52053 increasing the national minimum wage from R27.58 per hour to R28.79 per hour effective 1 March 2025.

The R28.79 per hour rate also applies to farm workers and domestic workers, an increase from R27.58. While the rate for per hour for workers employed on an expanded public works program is R15.83 an increase from R15.16.

Additionally, schedule 2 of the Government Notice 52053 indicates new rates for workers who have concluded learnership agreements contemplated in section 17 of the Skills Development Act, 1998 (Act No. 97 of 1998).

The changes to the minimum wages should be applied in your March 2025 payroll. 

If your company claims Employment Tax Incentive (ETI), remember to update your ETI Minimum Wage Codes in March to align to new wage rates increase The recommendation is to create new ETI Minimum Wage codes, and link the employees to the new codes.