National Minimum Wage & Earnings Threshold 2026/27
National Minimum Wage & Earnings Threshold 2026/27
The legal wage floor every employer must pay, the lower EPWP rate, and the BCEA earnings threshold that decides who gets automatic overtime and Sunday pay. The current South African figures.
Wage floor (from 1 March 2026)
| National Minimum Wage (NMW) | R30.23 per ordinary hour worked |
| Previous NMW (to Feb 2026) | R28.79 per hour (a 5% increase) |
| Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) | R16.62 per hour (the main lower-rate exception) |
| Who it covers | Anyone who works for you more than 24 hours a month, including farm and domestic workers |
BCEA earnings threshold (from 1 May 2026)
| Annual threshold | R269,600.90 per year (R22,466.67 per month) |
| Previous threshold | R261,785.45 per year |
| What it does | Workers earning ABOVE it lose the automatic right to overtime, Sunday and night-work premiums; below it those rights cannot be contracted out of |
Reference only -- not legal advice. The NMW is reviewed every year, so confirm the current Government Gazette before you set wages. If a bargaining council agreement covers your area and trade, its rates sit ABOVE the NMW and you must pay the higher figure. Verify at labour.gov.za.
Sources: National Minimum Wage Act and annual Gazette (effective 1 March 2026) · BCEA earnings threshold notice (effective 1 May 2026) · Department of Employment and Labour
SiteKiln provides general guidance only. This is not legal, tax, financial or professional advice. Always verify information and seek professional advice if unsure. © SiteKiln 2026