What is the minimum hourly wage in South Africa?
Since January 2019, workers in South Africa have been entitled to a minimum wage of R20 per hour, which translates to around R3,500, based on a 40-hour working week.
The new rules apply to all workers in South Africa, with the exception of National Defence Force, National Intelligence Agency and Secret Service employees, as well as volunteers.
Three other groups have different minimum wage standards. Farm workers are now entitled to a minimum wage of R18, domestic employees to R15, and workers on expanded public works programmes to R11.
Employers in South Africa can apply to be made exempted from the minimum wage for up to a year, though at this stage it's unclear as to the circumstances of when an exemption may be granted. If a company fails to pay the minimum wage (without an exemption being granted), they'll face significant fines.
The wage will be reviewed each year to assess whether it's having the desired effect on alleviating poverty and reducing wage inequality.
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