Code Of Good Practice: Dismissal
2025-09-18The Minister of Employment and Labour, Ms Meth, published the amended national minimum wages in the Government Gazette on 3 February 2026, effective from 1 March 2026.
Schedule 1: National Minimum Wage
- Subject to item 2, the NMW is R30.23 for each ordinary hour worked.
- Both farmworkers and domestic workers are also entitled to such increased hourly rate of R30.23.
- Workers employed on an expanded public works programme are entitled to a minimum wage of R16.62 per hour – due to them being employed under a special dispensation, their wage will rise from R15.16 per hour to the said new NMW of R16.62 per hour.
- Workers who concluded learnership agreements contemplated in s17 of the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 are entitled to the allowances contained in Schedule 2, as set out hereunder.
Schedule 2: learnership allowances
The new learnership allowances are reflected in the table below:
| NQF level | Credits already earned by learner | Minimum allowance per week |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 to 2 | 0 – 120 | R 455,00 |
| 121 – 240 | R 909,94 | |
| Level 3 | 0 – 120 | R 455,00 |
| 121 – 240 | R 856,94 | |
| 241 – 360 | R 1 402,87 | |
| Level 4 | 0 – 120 | R 455,00 |
| 121 – 240 | R 910,04 | |
| 241 – 360 | R 1 402,87 | |
| 361 – 480 | R 2 047,41 | |
| Level 5 to 8 | 0 – 120 | R 455,00 |
| 121 – 240 | R 985,76 | |
| 241 – 360 | R 1 474,90 | |
| 361 – 480 | R 2 077,79 | |
| 481 – 600 | R 2 654,04 |
Sectoral determination 1: contract cleaning sector
The minimum wages, as reflected in the table below, substitute the previous contract cleaning sector minimum wages:
| Area A | Area B | Area C | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Councils: | All Areas in KwaZulu-Natal | In the rest of the RSA | ||||
| City of Cape Town, Greater East Rand Metro, City of Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela. | NB: Conditions of employment and minimum wage rates for KwaZulu-Natal areas shall be subjected to the collective agreement concluded in the Bargaining Council for the Contract Cleaning Service Industry (BCCCI). | |||||
| Local Council: Emfuleni, Merafong, Mogale City, Metsimaholo, Randfontein, Stellenbosch, Westonaria. | ||||||
| Rate per hour | *Rate per week | *Rate per month | Rate per hour | Rate per hour | *Rate per week | *Rate per month |
| R33,27 | R1 497,15 | R6 487,15 | BCCCI rates apply | R30,33 | R1 364,85 | R5 913,90 |
*Monthly rate is based on 4.333 weeks.
*Any provider that contracts with a contract cleaning company at levels that makes it impossible for the contract cleaning company to meet its obligations in terms of the National Minimum Wage or the Basic Conditions of Employment Acts can be held liable in terms of section 200B of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995.
Sectoral determination 9: wholesale and retail sector
The new wholesale and retail sector minimum wages are reflected in Table 1: Area A and Table 2: Area B, as set out hereunder:
| Table 1: Area A | |||||
| Metropolitan and Local Municipality | |||||
| Bergrivier, Breede Valley, Buffalo City, Cape Agulhas, Cederberg, City of Cape Town, City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, City of Tshwane, Drakenstein, Ekurhuleni, Emalahleni, Emfuleni, Ethekwini Metropolitan Unicity, Gamagara, George, Hibiscus Coast, Karoo Hoogland, Kgatelopele, //Khara Hais, Knysna, Kungwini, Kouga, Hessequa local authority, Lesedi, Makana, Mangaung, Matzikama, Metsimaholo, Middelburg (Mpumalanga), Midvaal, Mngeni, Mogale, Mosselbaai, Msunduzi, Mtubatuba, Nama Khoi, Nelson Mandela, Nokeng tsa Taemane, Oudtshoorn, Overstrand, Plettenbergbaai, Potchefstroom, Randfontein, Richtersveld, Saldanha Bay, Sol Plaatjie, Stellenbosch, Swartland, Swellendam, Theewaterskloof, Umdoni, uMhlathuze and Witzenberg. | |||||
| 27 Hrs or less | Cl 2 (2) | ||||
| Cl 2 (3)(b) | Cl 2(3)(a) | ||||
| Job category | R.p.h | R.p.h | R.p.h. | R.p.w | R.p.m |
| General Assistant/Trolley Collector | 30,23 | 35,53 | 30,23 | 1360,35 | 5894,40 |
| Security Guard | 30,23 | 36,11 | 30,23 | 1360,35 | 5894,40 |
| Forklift Operator | 30,23 | 38,58 | 30,23 | 1360,35 | 5894,40 |
| Driver < 3500kg | 30,23 | 39,35 | 30,23 | 1360,35 | 5894,40 |
| Merchandiser/Shop Assistant/Checker/Deli Assistant | 32,64 | 40,83 | 30,23 | 1360,35 | 5894,40 |
| Cashier | 34,62 | 43,29 | 33,44 | 1504,80 | 6520,30 |
| Driver 3501 <9000kg | 37,66 | 47,07 | 36,35 | 1635,75 | 7087,70 |
| Clerk/Sales Assistant/Sales person/Block man/Baker | 40,76 | 50,94 | 39,36 | 1771,20 | 7674,61 |
| Driver 9001 <16000kg | 41,02 | 51,25 | 39,56 | 1780,20 | 7713,61 |
| Displayer | 42,34 | 52,90 | 40,87 | 1839,15 | 7969,04 |
| Driver 16001kg > | 45,03 | 56,31 | 43,48 | 1956,60 | 8477,95 |
| Supervisor | 50,14 | 62,70 | 48,42 | 2178,90 | 9441,17 |
| Trainee Manager | 54,15 | 67,70 | 52,30 | 2353,50 | 10197,72 |
| Assistant Manager | 58,99 | 73,75 | 56,92 | 2561,40 | 11098,55 |
| Manager | 64,66 | 80,82 | 62,43 | 2809,35 | 12172,91 |
| Table 2: Area B | |||||
| Metropolitan and Local Municipality NOT MENTIONED IN AREA A | |||||
| 27 Hrs or less | Cl 2 (2) | ||||
| Cl 2 (3)(b) | Cl 2(3)(a) | ||||
| Job category | R.p.h | R.p.h | R.p.h. | R.p.w | R.p.m |
| General Assistant/Trolley Collector | 30,23 | 33,17 | 30,23 | 1360,35 | 5894,40 |
| Security Guard | 30,23 | 36,11 | 30,23 | 1360,35 | 5894,40 |
| Forklift Operator | 30,23 | 33,41 | 30,23 | 1360,35 | 5894,40 |
| Driver < 3500kg | 30,23 | 34,28 | 30,23 | 1360,35 | 5894,40 |
| Merchandiser/Shop Assistant/Checker/Deli Assistant | 30,23 | 36,10 | 30,23 | 1360,35 | 5894,40 |
| Cashier | 30,23 | 38,25 | 30,23 | 1360,35 | 5894,40 |
| Driver 3501 <9000kg | 32,78 | 40,99 | 30,23 | 1360,35 | 5894,40 |
| Clerk/Sales Assistant/Sales person/Block man/Baker | 40,76 | 50,94 | 34,68 | 1560,60 | 6762,08 |
| Driver 9001 <16000kg | 39,22 | 49,04 | 37,62 | 1692,90 | 7335,34 |
| Displayer | 34,92 | 43,66 | 33,55 | 1509,75 | 6541,75 |
| Driver 16001kg> | 43,10 | 53,89 | 41,37 | 1861,65 | 8066,53 |
| Supervisor | 43,83 | 54,81 | 42,09 | 1894,05 | 8206,92 |
| Trainee Manager | 46,91 | 58,63 | 45,00 | 2025,00 | 8774,33 |
| Assistant Manager | 51,72 | 64,66 | 49,56 | 2230,20 | 9663,46 |
| Manager | 56,09 | 70,10 | 53,75 | 2418,75 | 10480,44 |