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Photographer: Waldo Swiegers\/Bloomberg<\/p><\/div>\n
South Africa\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Radio Islam International, Chairperson of the Living Wage South Africa Network, Professor Ines Meyer, \u2060was challenged on whether an aspirational “living wage” is economically realistic for middle-class South Africans and whether strict wage regulations worsen unemployment.\u2060<\/p>\n
\u2060Clarifying the distinction between the legal baseline and a living wage,\u2060 Prof Meyer explained: \u201cThe national minimum wage is a legal requirement\u2014one may not pay less… The living wage is a wage that is required for people to live a very humble, but decent life.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019s statutory minimum wage has risen incrementally from R20.00 per hour when first introduced in 2019 to R30.23 per hour by March 2026\u2014translating to roughly R4,800 a month for a full-time worker.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want the living wage to be a legislative requirement,\u201d she stated. \u201cIt is an amount that we put out to the public based on research so that employers and employees know what to aspire towards paying.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.\u2060<\/p>\n
\u2060Responding to affordability concerns,\u2060 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.<\/p>\n
\u2060Pressing further, Prof Meyer responded to queries on worker consent\u2014specifically 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.\u2060<\/p>\n
\u2060Prof Meyer acknowledged the dilemma, but maintained that accepting sub-minimum wages traps workers in severe poverty:\u2060 \u201cWhat 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,\u201d she argued, citing expenses like transport and childcare.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n