The South African government has recently announced an increase in the National Minimum Wage (NMW), effective from March 1, 2025. The new minimum wage has been adjusted from R27.58 to R28.79 per hour, marking a 4.4% increase. This adjustment aims to address the rising cost of living.
Key Points of the New Minimum Wage
Increased Rate: The NMW has been increased to R28.79 per hour for all workers, including domestic and farm workers.
Expanded Public Works Programme: Workers on this program will receive a minimum wage of R15.83 per hour, up from R15.16.
Impact on Workers and Employers
The increase in the minimum wage is expected to have a significant impact on both workers and employers. For workers, especially those in vulnerable sectors like domestic and farm workers, this increase may cause employers to potentially cut jobs.
This increase comes just before the Budget Speech where an increase in tax rates are expected and the removal of medical aid tax credits.
A Wake-Up Call for Compliance and Compassion
In a late-night operation dubbed the “Dusk of Night” blitz, the Department of Employment and Labour, alongside SAPS and Home Affairs, raided two textile factories in Mandeni, KwaZulu-Natal. The results were chilling: 47 undocumented workers arrested, two employers detained, and a 14-year-old child found working under illegal conditions.
This wasn’t just a labour violation - it was a mirror held up to the cracks in our current social systems. read more
October 29, 2025
True Empowerment Means Accessibility to Compliance Tools
In South Africa, compliance is often framed as a gate - something you pass through if you’re lucky, resourced, or well-connected. But what if compliance was a bridge instead? What if it was a scaffold that dignifies participation, rather than a barrier that filters it?
At openHR, we believe that true empowerment begins with access. Not just access to funding or opportunity, but access to the tools that make participation possible. Payroll, contracts, UIF declarations, leave policies - these aren’t just admin tasks. They’re the rituals of legitimacy. And when those rituals are locked behind expensive software or opaque systems,... read more
