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For household employers

Your gardener. Your domestic worker.
Your parent's caregiver.
Paid and covered properly.

Minimum wage, leave, UIF — worked out for once-a-week visits, full-time staff, and caregivers for elderly or frail family members, in plain language, so you're not guessing what the law actually requires.

Get the household HR pack See what's included
Before you get started

What this is, and how it works

A plain explanation — no jargon — before you decide whether this is for you.

What is this?

A simple, done-for-you system for anyone employing a domestic worker, gardener, or caregiver in their home. It generates the contract, payslips, and records you're legally required to have — automatically, in a few clicks.

Why does this matter?

Even one person working one day a week is a real employee under South African law. No written contract, no UIF, no COIDA registration — these aren't small oversights. If a dispute ever comes up, they're exactly what gets checked first.

The importance

This protects both sides. Your worker knows exactly where they stand — pay, leave, what's expected of them. You have proper records if anything is ever questioned. Nobody has to guess, and nobody can later say "I didn't know."

How subscribing works

R129 a month, billed automatically through PayFast — the same secure system used across Breaking Ground. Cancel anytime. No contracts, no once-off fee, no hidden costs.

How you actually use it, day to day
1. Subscribe once

Pay through the button below. You'll get an email with your login within a few minutes.

2. Log in whenever you need to

There's nothing to install. Go to the app page, log in, and it's all there — no need to redo anything from scratch each time.

3. Use it as things come up

Hired someone new? Add them. Pay day? Generate a payslip. An issue comes up? Log it. Takes minutes, not hours.

Three common situations

Same law, different obligations depending on the hours

Everything changes depending on how many hours a month someone works for you. Here's what you need to do in each case.

Once-a-week gardener (minimum wage)

Under 24 hrs/month
Hours per visit5 paid hrs
Minimum wage rateR30.23 / hr
Minimum pay per visitR151.15
Monthly hours~21.7 hrs
Minimum monthly pay~R656.00
Leave & UIFNot required
COIDARegistration required
This is the legal floor. Paying more is common and always fine — it just can not go below it.

Three-day domestic worker (minimum wage)

24 hrs/month or more
Schedule3 days/wk, 8am–4pm
Minimum wage rateR30.23 / hr
Monthly hours~104 hrs
Minimum monthly pay~R3,143.92
Leave accrual1 hr / 17 hrs worked
UIFRegistration required
COIDARegistration required
Needs a contract, leave tracking, UIF and COIDA registration — all included in the pack.

Full-time live-in caregiver for elderly parent (minimum wage)

24 hrs/month or more
Schedule6 days/wk, 45 hrs total
Minimum wage rateR30.23 / hr
Monthly hours~195 hrs
Minimum monthly pay~R5,894.85
Accommodation deductionMax 10% of wage
Leave, UIF, sick leaveAll required
COIDARegistration required
Legally a domestic worker under the BCEA — same protections as a gardener or house cleaner, plus live-in accommodation rules.
The 24-hour test

One number decides which rules apply

Count only the hours this person works for you specifically, in a month. Everything else follows from that.

R30.23 / hr

National minimum wage

Applies to every worker, regardless of hours — effective 1 March 2026.

< 24 hrs

No extra obligations

Under 24 hours a month, leave, sick leave and UIF aren't legally required. COIDA still is — it has no hours threshold.

≥ 24 hrs

Full BCEA coverage

24 hours or more brings leave accrual, sick leave and UIF into play.

One rate, nationwide. There used to be a city-vs-town wage split ("Area A" / "Area B") for domestic workers. That was phased out in 2021/2022 — R30.23/hour is now one flat national rate, whether the household is in a metro or a small town.
What's in the pack

Everything a household employer needs, nothing they don't

Built for the person who's never hired staff before — no HR jargon, no CCMA-scale process.

01

Contract templates

Regular (24hrs+) and casual versions, editable, aligned to the BCEA.

02

Payslip template

Ready to fill in, matches SARS and UIF requirements.

03

Leave & hours calculator

Works out accrual automatically from hours worked.

04

UIF guidance

Step-by-step registration and monthly contribution reminders.

05

COIDA registration guide

How to register with the Compensation Fund — applies from hour one.

06

Minimum wage alerts

Notified automatically when the annual rate changes.

07

Plain-language guide

The 24-hour test and common mistakes, explained simply.

How access works
1. Subscribe

R129/month, billed through PayFast. Cancel anytime.

2. Log in

Download and edit every template, and use the leave/hours calculator online.

3. Stay covered

Get an email alert whenever the minimum wage or rules change, so your contracts stay compliant.

R129/ month
Full access to every template, the payslip generator, the leave calculator, and UIF/COIDA guidance for as long as you subscribe. Domestic worker and gardener sections both included, use what applies. Cancel anytime.

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