🎲 HR Calendar Bingo 2026: What’s Coming This Year?

25 Jan 2026
HR doesn’t need fortune tellers - we’ve got annual rituals that repeat with uncanny precision. Here’s your bingo card for 2026, with the details that matter.

🧩 Square 1: Minimum Wage Increase

  • Recommendation: The National Minimum Wage Commission has proposed an increase of CPI + 1.5% for 2026.
  • Current Rate: R28.79 per hour (general minimum, including farm and domestic workers).
  • Timeline: If adopted, the new rate will take effect 1 March 2026.
  • Impact: Roughly 5.5 million workers are affected, with employers needing to adjust payroll systems and contracts accordingly.

🧩 Square 2: Workman’s Comp Return of Earnings (ROE) Delays

  • Annual Cycle: Employers must submit ROE in April for the prior year’s earnings.
  • The Pattern: The Compensation Fund’s online portal is notorious for shutdowns and extensions. In 2025, the system was offline until 1 May, with Letters of Good Standing extended until 31 May.
  • Expectation for 2026: Similar delays are likely, meaning HR teams should prepare for last‑minute extensions and keep compliance buffers in place.

🧩 Square 3: Tax Tweaks & Medical Aid Credits

  • Medical Aid Tax Credits: Currently R364 per month for the principal member, R364 for the first dependant, and R246 for each additional dependant.
  • Future Outlook: Policy discussions suggest credits could be eliminated entirely by 2029 to fund the National Health Insurance (NHI).
  • This Year’s Twist: For 2026, credits may not be adjusted at all - effectively eroding their value against inflation.
  • Risk: If withdrawn, up to 700,000 lower‑income medical aid members could be forced into public health, costing the state an extra R6.3 billion annually.

🧩 Square 4: Industrial Action Looming

  • Context: Wage negotiations across sectors remain tense, with unions signalling readiness for strikes or go‑slows.
  • HR Implication: Contingency planning is essential — from communication protocols to payroll adjustments during work stoppages.
  • Pattern: Industrial action tends to peak mid‑year, often coinciding with wage review cycles.

openHR free payroll and HR
✨ How to Play

  • Print the card, stick it on your office wall, and tick off each square as the year unfolds.
  • First one to shout “Bingo!” wins… probably just more paperwork.

More Posts
Blog post image
Free Payslip Generator for South Africa

Payslips aren’t just paperwork - they’re proof of compliance, trust, and transparency between employer and employee. Yet too many businesses still struggle with outdated templates or costly software. That’s why openHR offers a free payslip generator designed for South African businesses, built to simplify payroll while keeping you compliant. read more

August 11, 2026

openHR free payroll and HR
đź“… 4 November 2026: Public Holiday for Municipal Elections

President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially declared Wednesday, 4 November 2026 a public holiday across South Africa to allow citizens to cast their votes in the municipal elections. The proclamation was gazetted earlier this month under the Public Holidays Act, ensuring employees nationwide have the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to vote. read more

September 16, 2026