National minimum wage 2026: the hourly rate and what it means monthly
Updated 25 August 2026
From 1 March 2026 the national minimum wage is R30.23 for every ordinary hour worked, up from R28.79 — an increase of R1.44 an hour, or 5%. The same rate applies to farm workers and domestic workers. Workers on the Expanded Public Works Programme are entitled to R16.62 an hour, and learners on registered learnership agreements get set weekly allowances instead.
What it comes to per week and per month
At R30.23 an hour, a 40-hour week is R1 209 and a 45-hour week — the longest ordinary week the Basic Conditions of Employment Act allows — is R1 360. Over a month that is about R5 240 for 40 hours a week and R5 895 for 45, before any overtime, and before PAYE, which does not apply at these levels because both fall below the tax threshold of R99 000 a year. UIF of 1% still comes off.
The minimum is per ordinary hour, so a part-time or casual worker is entitled to the same hourly rate for every hour worked. It sets a floor, not a wage: where a sectoral determination, bargaining council agreement or contract sets a higher rate, the higher rate applies.
Who it covers, and who it doesn't
Almost every employee in South Africa, including farm and domestic workers, who were brought up to the full rate in 2022. Members of the SANDF, the intelligence services and the Secret Service are excluded, as are volunteers and genuine independent contractors. An employer can apply to the Department of Employment and Labour for an exemption, but only for up to a year and only if it can show it cannot afford the rate.
How the rate has moved
The national minimum wage started at R20.00 an hour in January 2019 and has been adjusted every March since: R20.76 in 2020, R21.69 in 2021, R23.19 in 2022, R25.42 in 2023, R27.58 in 2024, R28.79 in 2025 and R30.23 in 2026. Each adjustment is set by the Minister on the advice of the National Minimum Wage Commission after public comment, and published in the Government Gazette about a month before it takes effect.
What it means if you are borrowing
Lenders assess affordability on net income after your existing debit orders. On a minimum-wage income a short-term loan of a few thousand rand can consume a full instalment's worth of the month, which is why the small lenders on this site cap first loans at R4 000 or R5 000 regardless of what you ask for. Run the salary calculator with your actual hours, then the short-term cost calculator, before you apply.
Questions people ask
›What is the minimum wage per hour in 2026?
R30.23 for every ordinary hour worked from 1 March 2026, for all workers covered by the Act including farm and domestic workers. EPWP workers: R16.62.
›What is the minimum wage per month?
There is no monthly minimum in law — it is hourly. For a 45-hour week it works out to about R5 895 a month; for 40 hours about R5 240.
›Does the minimum wage include overtime?
No. It is the rate for ordinary hours. Overtime must be paid at 1.5 times the normal rate (2 times on Sundays and public holidays) under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
›When is the next increase?
Adjustments take effect on 1 March each year, and the new rate is gazetted about a month earlier.