Apprentice / Learnership Pay
What you must pay a registered apprentice or learner each week under Schedule 2 of the National Minimum Wage Act.
What this tool does
Translates Schedule 2 of the National Minimum Wage Act into a minimum weekly allowance for your apprentice or learner, based on NQF level and credits earned, and compares it to the ordinary National Minimum Wage.
NQF level of the qualification
How many credits has the learner earned so far?
Standard BCEA workweek is 45 hours.
What the law actually says
- •The National Minimum Wage Act 9 of 2018 sets a baseline hourly minimum (R30.23/hour from 1 March 2026).
- •Schedule 2 of the Act, last gazetted in Government Gazette 54075 on 3 February 2026, sets weekly minimum allowances for registered apprentices and learners by NQF level and credits earned, ranging from R455.00 to R2,654.04 per week.
- •Schedule 2 applies only to registered agreements with the relevant SETA. An unregistered worker called an apprentice on site is in law an ordinary employee and must receive the full NMW.