“That’s Illegal”: KZN Cash and Carry Supermarket Paying Workers Just Over R10 an Hour Under Fire

• A Labour and Civic Organisation (LACO) member posted a video of workers and community members shutting down a KZN cash and carry store over allegations of underpaying employees
• South Africa's national minimum wage as of 1 March 2026 is R30.23 per hour
• People were outraged, with one person breaking down the monthly take-home and others sharing first-hand accounts of the conditions workers face
• Briefly News spoke to entrepreneur Rajesperi Naidoo on how business owners can avoid these kinds of situations

A video posted by @moeketsimahasela, who regularly shares content about workers' rights and unfair labour practices, showed a tense scene that had many feeling the pinch. The LACO member was recording the events unfolding inside a cash and carry store in KwaZulu-Natal. Workers and community members had come together to shut the store down until management agreed to treat their employees fairly. People were singing and clapping, drawing attention to what the LACO member alleged was a wage of R12 per hour being paid to workers at the store.

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What the law says about minimum wage

As of 1 March 2026, the national minimum wage in South Africa is R30.23 per ordinary hour. This applies to all sectors, including domestic and farm workers. Paying an employee R12 per hour would put that employer well below the legal minimum and would constitute a violation of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. Workers who are paid below minimum wage have the right to report their employer to the Department of Employment and Labour.

LACO, which is linked to the MK Party's Labour Desk, focuses on advocating for South African workers in the workplace. Members take part in protests and awareness campaigns targeting businesses they believe are treating employees unfairly. However, the Department of Labour in KwaZulu-Natal has noted that only authorised inspectors have the legal right to conduct workplace inspections, not third-party organisations.

Briefly News writer Nerissa Naidoo spoke to entrepreneur Rajesperi Naidoo on how business owners can avoid finding themselves in a situation where employees and community members are shutting their doors over wage disputes. She explained:

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"The first thing any business owner needs to do is know the law. The national minimum wage is not a suggestion; it is a legal requirement. Also, ignorance of it is not a defence. If you are running a business with employees, you need to know exactly what you are legally required to pay them and build that into your cost structure from day one. I've seen a lot of small and medium businesses get into trouble because they set their pricing and their margins first and then try to fit wages in afterwards. It should be the other way around. Your people are the reason your business runs. Pay them properly and build everything else around that."

When asked why following minimum wage laws is not just a legal obligation but also good for business in the long run, she said:

"When you pay people fairly, they show up. They are motivated, they stay longer and they take pride in the work they do. High staff turnover costs you more than you think. Recruiting, training and even losing institutional knowledge every few months adds up fast. A business that treats its workers well also builds a better reputation in the community, and that community is your customer base. You can't afford to have the people you rely on to spend money in your store be the same people protesting outside it. That is a loss on every level."

Watch the TikTok video below:

Mzansi unimpressed by the alleged R12 wage

South Africans were horrified and had plenty to say on TikToker @moeketsimahasela's clip:

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@Sindi Hlongwa wrote:

"R90 for 10 hours. R450 for 5 days. R450 times 4 equals R1,800 a month. Mhhhhhh."

@kerrible1 said:

"Basic is R30.23 per hour. How is it that they got away with it for so long?"

@ndoh08 added:

"Yoh, that is below even a living wage. It is illegal."

@Thuthu Hair wrote:

"My cousin works here. It is very difficult. They work 6 days a week, sometimes even 7. They cannot even take sick leave because when they come back, they no longer have a job."

@REO added:

"Employees are not happy at all."

@MiniJoy wrote:

"Yoooh. That is just too sad."

@Tebogo said:

"Whattt?"

@LadyN asked:

"Are they open today?"

More on wages and worker rights

• Briefly News recently reported on a corporate attorney whose payslip went viral on TikTok.
• An immigration officer with 20 years of service had their pay slip reviewed online, and what the numbers showed about their take-home pay had South Africans calling it a crime scene.
• A young woman was left in tears after SARS deducted an excess amount from her salary at the end of the month.

Source: Briefly News