17/02/2026
Employment and Labour Minister, Nomakhosazana M**h today (03 February 2026) announced a rise in the (NMW) rates for 2026 from R28,79 to R30,23 for each ordinary hour worked.
M**h said: βThe 1st of March 2026 is the date on which this amendment shall become binding".
The R1,44 upward move will benefit all workers, including vulnerable farm workers and domestic workers.
The NMW is the floor which an employer is legally obligated to remunerate employees for work done. No employee shall be paid below the National Minimum Wage.
It cannot be varied by contract, collective agreement or law; and it is also an unfair labour practice for an employer to unilaterally alter hours of work or other conditions of employment in implementing the NMW.