{"id":835488,"date":"2025-08-20T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=835488"},"modified":"2025-08-20T07:03:55","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T05:03:55","slug":"national-minimum-wage-changes-for-south-africa-are-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/government\/835488\/national-minimum-wage-changes-for-south-africa-are-coming\/","title":{"rendered":"National Minimum Wage changes for South Africa are coming"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) Commission has issued a call for public input and submissions on adjustments to the NMW for 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commission does an annual call to stakeholder for inputs, which it then compiles into a recommendation report for possible adjustments to the wage the next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recommendations are given to the Minister of Employment and Labour later in 2025, in accordance with Section 6(2) of the NMW Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Minimum Wage is the lowest remuneration rate that employers are obligated and legally permitted to pay their employees for each ordinary hour worked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is illegal for employers to pay their employees less than the minimum threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minimum wage is currently fixed at R28.79 for each ordinary hour worked, which was announced in February 2025 and implemented from March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NMW increase for 2025 was 4.4%, which was in line with inflation at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a person working a 38-hour week, this works out to a minimum salary of R1,094 per week or R4,737 per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minimum salary for a person working a 45-hour week increased to R1,295 per week and R5,610 per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Minimum Wage Commission is responsible for annually reviewing and recommending adjustments to the national minimum wage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also investigates and reports annually to the minister on the impact of the national minimum wage on the economy, collective bargaining, and income differentials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, input from stakeholders is vital to the process, as it can have a real-world impact on what the final approved rate will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Representations should reach the directorate: Employment Standards, Department of Employment and Labour, Private Bag X117, Pretoria, 0001 or be sent to nmwreview@labour.gov.za by 18 September 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changes to expect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Labour Minister, Nomakhosazana Meth<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While the NMW commission speaks of \u201cpossible\u201d changes to the minimum wage, the group has already committed to hikes each year above inflation at the bare minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In May 2023<\/strong><\/a>, the commission gazetted its medium-term NMW targets, which set a three-year goal for the minimum wage and its commitments to meeting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2026 represents the final of the three-year window determined by the commission, so it is likely that the same targets and considerations will be taken into account in this year’s report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the commission considers all the inputs given, it has explicitly linked the minimum wage to economic indicators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specifically, future minimum wage increases will be linked to the consumer price index (CPI) as well as the median wage level in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The commission has also determined that the minimum wage should increase at rates above inflation, so that wages grow in real terms and don\u2019t lose value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Factors considered by the Commission in the annual adjustment include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n