“Pay Them the Best”: SA Podcasters Call Out Employers for Underpaying Domestic Workers

• South African podcasters called out employers across the country for paying domestic workers less than they deserve, even as a new minimum wage takes effect
• Stats SA data shows that the average domestic worker earns roughly half of what the law requires, a gap the National Minimum Wage Commission has described as a compliance crisis
• The podcasters argued that true wealth means nothing if the people running your home and caring for your children cannot afford to keep their own lights on

Two Durban podcasters have put South Africa’s most uncomfortable salary conversation on full blast, and people are not looking away.

Shaheen and Nazeer went public on 13 March 2026 with a conversation about what Mzansi employers are actually paying the people who clean their homes, raise their children and keep their households running. The clip was posted on TikTok under their handle @mindscaped.podcast, and it hit a nerve.

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The numbers tell a difficult story

The two men pulled no punches when it came to what domestic workers in different cities are taking home. They put Durban’s going rate at roughly R3,500 a month. This is a figure they called out as low. Cape Town and Johannesburg, they said, sit closer to R350 per day.

Beyond the wage, there is a dignity issue

The podcasters also spoke about domestic workers being handed different cutlery. Being told to use outside toilets. Being treated as a lesser category of human inside the very home they keep running.

As of 1 March 2026, South Africa’s national minimum wage requires employers to pay at least R120.92 per day. This applies even if a domestic worker only works for a few hours. The 2025 SweepSouth survey found a median of R3,932, which still falls below the R4,600 minimum required by law.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

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Mzansi weighs in on the conversation

Briefly News compiled a series of comments from South Africans who share mixed thoughts in the comment section of the post.

@love everyone commented:

“Don’t speak on behalf of the whole of Durban. If you want to talk, say some or a small percentage, don’t include me. I’m paying R246.00. That is 8 to 5 and tea with tea time, lunch time with lunch, and UIF contribution is fully paid by me.”

@Shakera wrote:

“We pay almost R300 a day in Johannesburg, and we allow our helpers to eat with us and use our facilities. This mentality changes with us. Also, our helpers don't work from 8 to 5, they work from 8 to 12.”

@brando said:

“R180 per day? That’s sick. Who can live on that?”

@pranilmoonia commented:

“❤️Pay them more. Nobody can survive on R4,000 a month. Many wealthy people can afford R10,000. So the point here is to pay them more than minimum wage.”

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@Pursuit of Stability & Peace wrote:

“I am sorry, but I think the way people treat domestic workers is disgusting. They don't deserve the help. Even if they are being paid, they still deserve to be treated as humans.”

More articles involving domestic workers

• A Johannesburg domestic worker has captured the internet’s heart after her small rusk business exploded into a global sensation.
• A comedy skit showing a domestic worker taking cleaning instructions a little too literally quickly gained traction on social media.
• As of 1 March 2026, South Africa’s national minimum wage has officially increased by 5%, rising from R28.79 to R30.23 per hour.

Source: Briefly News