Umamah Bakharia
21 August 2026 | 12:30 CAT
2-minute read

Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg

South Africa’s national minimum wage is set to come under review, with public submissions for the 2027 rate open until 4 September. While the statutory wage aims to provide workers with a basic floor, the Living Wage South Africa Network argues that a significant gap remains between what workers earn and what they actually need to live with dignity.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Chairperson of the Living Wage South Africa Network, Professor Ines Meyer, ⁠was challenged on whether an aspirational “living wage” is economically realistic for middle-class South Africans and whether strict wage regulations worsen unemployment.⁠

⁠Clarifying the distinction between the legal baseline and a living wage,⁠ Prof Meyer explained: “The national minimum wage is a legal requirement—one may not pay less… The living wage is a wage that is required for people to live a very humble, but decent life.”

According to research by the network, a dignified living wage in South Africa is estimated at around R20,000 net per month across all occupations. Prof Meyer clarified that this rate enables essential personal choices and allows households to set aside modest emergency savings. By comparison, South Africa’s statutory minimum wage has risen incrementally from R20.00 per hour when first introduced in 2019 to R30.23 per hour by March 2026—translating to roughly R4,800 a month for a full-time worker.

Addressing concerns from employers and small businesses struggling to meet higher wage thresholds, Prof Meyer noted that the R20,000 target is intended as an aspirational benchmark rather than a statutory obligation.

“We don’t want the living wage to be a legislative requirement,” she stated. “It is an amount that we put out to the public based on research so that employers and employees know what to aspire towards paying.”

During the interview, Radio Islam International asked the Network how middle-income households earning R10,000 to R20,000 themselves could afford such rates while paying rent, electricity, and school fees.⁠

⁠Responding to affordability concerns,⁠ Prof Meyer clarified that the R20,000 target is an aspirational benchmark rather than a legal mandate, suggesting flexible arrangements such as offering higher daily rates for fewer working days.

⁠Pressing further, Prof Meyer responded to queries on worker consent—specifically about desperate individuals who willingly agree to work below the minimum wage just to put food on the table, and whether allowing lower pay would clear more unemployment.⁠

⁠Prof Meyer acknowledged the dilemma, but maintained that accepting sub-minimum wages traps workers in severe poverty:⁠ “What happens if we pay less than the minimum wage often is that we are employing people for an income and they become poorer because they work,” she argued, citing expenses like transport and childcare.

Addressing the broader crisis of mass joblessness, Prof Meyer suggested policy debates shift away from creating low-income jobs at any cost toward ensuring existing workers earn enough to support their dependent, unemployed family members.

Listen to the full interview.