TimesLIVE reports that as indicated in the fourth annual SweepSouth report on pay and working conditions for domestic work across Africa, domestic workers' earnings are falling below the living wage in SA.

The report, based on survey responses in the past year from 7,000 workers who were not on the SweepSouth platform, showed that domestic workers earned between R2,614 and R2,916 a month, which fell below the minimum wage increase as of 1 March 2021. This year’s report was the first to be conducted across three countries, namely SA, Kenya and Nigeria. It found domestic workers who were not on the cleaning service’s platform had experienced a decrease in their average earnings from 2020. “This may be as a result of increased income pressure on employers, as well as lower paid domestic workers returning to work. While SweepSouth has advocated for an improvement in pay for domestic workers across the board, we have been met by the challenge of a slow economy and a lack of willingness and/or the ability to pay more. This has meant that attempts to raise minimum pricing have often led to a decrease in average earnings,” the report indicated. Data from the report showed that 21% of domestic workers earned less than R1,500 a month while only 1% earned above R6,000 a month. Earnings for domestic workers in Gauteng were found to be 8% higher than in the Western Cape and 27% higher than the rest of SA. Childcare was found to be the most profitable domestic worker role.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Shonisani Tshikalange at TimesLIVE

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