The Department of Employment and Labour has announced that South Africa’s National Minimum Wage will increase to R30,23 per hour with effect from 1 March 2026. This increase is implemented in terms of the National Minimum Wage Act, 2018 and is set out in Schedule 1 of Government Gazette No. 54075, published on 3 February 2026.
The revised NMW of R30,23 per ordinary hour worked applies across the economy and explicitly includes farm workers and domestic workers, whose minimum hourly rates are now aligned with the national floor at the same level. Workers employed on Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) projects must be paid at least R16,62 per hour, while learners under approved learnership agreements are entitled to the updated allowances in Schedule 2 of the Act.
Employers are reminded that the NMW is a legal floor below which no worker may be paid for ordinary hours of work, and that non‑compliance may result in enforcement action and fines under the labour laws. The Department calls on all employers, payroll administrators and contracting entities to ensure that their rates, tenders and budgets are updated before 1 March 2026 so that every eligible worker receives at least R30,23 per hour from the effective date.
National Minimum Wage: last 5 years
The table below shows the hourly NMW for the past five adjustment years and the year‑on‑year percentage increase.
|
Effective from (1 March) |
Hourly NMW (R) |
Year‑on‑year increase |
|
2022 |
23,19 |
6,2% (from R21,69 in 2021) |
|
2023 |
25,42 |
9,6% (from R23,19 in 2022) |
|
2024 |
27,58 |
8,5% (from R25,42 in 2023) |
|
2025 |
28,79 |
4,4% (from R27,58 in 2024) |
|
2026 |
30,23 |
5,0% (from R28,79 in 2025, approximate) |
Farm and domestic workers have been aligned with the full NMW rate since 2022, which means these increases applied equally to them over the period shown.
Comment on impact
These upward adjustments are essential to help low‑paid workers keep pace with rising living costs and to protect the real value of their wages. At the same time, higher labour costs will remain a significant factor in business strategies, and are likely to accelerate decisions around automation, mechanisation and the adoption of new technologies as employers seek to maintain competitiveness and manage overall cost structures.
Written by: John Botha | Joint Chief Executive Officer | Global Business Solutions
