Entrepreneur’s MyHelper Platform Makes Paying Domestic Workers Easier for South Africans

• A South African labour compliance platform built without any investor funding hit a major milestone just 10 months after launching
• MyHelper founder Mario Labuschagne drew on nearly a decade in the cleaning industry to build the payroll tool for domestic employers
• One early customer story involving a pregnant domestic worker showed the founder exactly why the platform needed to exist
• Briefly News had the pleasure of speaking with Mario about his well-thought-out idea

A South African entrepreneur has built a domestic payroll platform from scratch, without a single rand in outside funding, and processed over R13.7 million in payroll for households across the country in less than a year. MyHelper launched in September 2025 under founder Mario Labuschagne. The platform helps South African domestic employers manage payroll, submit UIF contributions, generate payslips, track employee leave and file annual COID Return of Earnings, all through one online system with automated Department of Labour submissions.

Read also

UNISA cum laude graduate begs at traffic lights to feed 3 children after 18 months without work

Mario, a registered Labour Practitioner with the South African Department of Employment and Labour, spent nearly 10 years working in the cleaning industry before the idea took shape. The turning point came when a client said she preferred paying a premium to a cleaning company rather than dealing with the legal responsibilities of directly employing someone. "That statement stopped me in my tracks," Labuschagne said. "It confirmed what I had long suspected — that for the average South African household, labour law compliance, UIF, and COIDA feel genuinely daunting."

Built around a real gap in the market

MyHelper was designed around the reality that domestic employers carry the same legal obligations as any corporate employer, yet have never been served like one. Built directly around what gets evaluated during routine labour inspections, the platform turns complex legal compliance requirements into an approachable process for everyday households. Many clients who signed up did not know compliance was legally required at all.

The platform's growth has been driven by an educational content strategy that has reached hundreds of thousands of South Africans online, with videos explaining domestic employment law in plain, accessible language.

The story that made it all worth it

One customer experience stands out. A domestic employer contacted MyHelper in a panic after realising her worker was about to go on maternity leave, and nothing was in order. No UIF registration, no contributions, no submissions. "We took her through everything, step by step, Mario recalled. "We got her registered, brought her submissions up to date, and once she was fully compliant, we assisted her with completing all the required UIF claim forms so that her domestic worker could begin the process of claiming her maternity benefits."

Read also

MK Party spinoff LLE claims 70 jobs created after Durban march against illegal foreign workers

The founder described the moment as the clearest reminder of why the platform was built. A domestic worker he had never met was now able to access benefits she was legally entitled to, and the employer no longer had to carry the weight of having let someone down.

Why compliance cannot be delayed

For South Africans still putting off compliance, Labuschagne's message is direct. Every month without registration increases legal and financial risk. Non-compliance can lead to CCMA disputes, Department of Labour penalties and backdated UIF contributions. Getting it right, the founder says, protects both the employer and the person who shows up each day to care for their home.

5 Briefly News domestic worker-related articles

• A content creator and stay-at-home mom shared insights into maintaining a positive relationship with her household employee.
• A nanny shared a video teaching her boss's toddler how to eat chicken feet, warming the hearts of many social media users.
• A homeowner sought public advice after struggling to find and keep reliable helpers despite offering an R7.2K salary and other generous benefits.
• A woman detailed how her helper took her car without permission, got into an accident, and injured her child, who was in the car with her.
• A South African woman travelled to Zimbabwe to visit her domestic helper’s family, sharing a heartwarming video of her struggle to learn the Shona language.

Source: Briefly News