New Minimum wage from 1st January 2019

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that the new national minimum wage will come into effect from 1 January 2019 .

Speaking at a ceremony at the Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown on Friday (7 December), Ramaphosa said that this was a great achievement for the working people of South Africa who have faced decades of exploitation.

Ramaphosa officially signed off on the National Minimum Wage Bill at the end of November, with the long-delayed legislation originally expected to be introduced from 1 May.

The National Minimum Wage Bill will set the new minimum wage at R20 for each ordinary hour worked.

Farm workers, domestic workers, learners employed in terms of the Skills Development Act and workers on expanded public works programmes have different minimum hourly rates which will apply from a date to be fixed by the President.

An exemption may only be granted if the employer cannot afford to pay the minimum wage and after meaningful consultation with every trade union representing affected employees or the affected employee him/herself in absence of a trade union.