"It's Sad": South Africa's Domestic Worker Jobs Drop to Near-Pandemic Lows in Q3 2026

• Stats SA's latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey recorded 800,000 domestic workers employed in South Africa in Q3 2026
• The figure marks the lowest domestic worker employment has gone since the hard COVID-19 lockdown in 2020
• South Africans online blamed strained household budgets and government policy for the sharp decline

South Africa lost 31,000 domestic worker jobs in the third quarter of 2026, pushing employment in the sector to its lowest point since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new data from Stats SA's Quarterly Labour Force Survey.

The figures show 800,000 domestic workers were employed nationally during Q3 2026, a drop of 3.7% from the second quarter and 5.6% compared to the same period in 2025. Year-on-year, that translates to 48,000 jobs lost across the sector.

According to BusinessTech, the only comparable low came in Q2 2020, when just 745,000 domestic workers were counted during South Africa's hard lockdown. That was a period when entire sectors of the economy were forced to shut down. Outside of that unprecedented disruption, the current figures represent a historic low for the profession.

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Stats SA also noted that employment in private households fell 7.9% year-on-year, reflecting just how sharply the sector has contracted. In Q3 2023, the year-on-year drop was a comparatively modest 11,000 jobs. This time, the decline is more than four times that figure. See a post below:

SA react to domestic worker job losses

The BusinessTech Instagram post reporting on the data drew strong responses from South Africans who pointed to cost pressures and government policy as key drivers:

@amandac5249 said:

"Due to the government making it impossible to afford them."

@dufeyanne wrote:

"We pay salaries with after-tax money! No rebate to employ housekeepers and housemen/drivers therefore cost is high and we need to pay UIF as well totally wrong. Add tax back onto what you pay; this gives you a good idea of what the actual cost is. Domestic employees' salaries should be tax-deductible!"

@steenkamp_linda.127 commented:

"It is just not conducive anymore to employ a domestic. Several factors come into play: the current economy, constant interference from the government, the ongoing admin and finally, if you have been robbed a couple of times."

@nick_groves72 noted:

"When times get tight, retrenchments are the first action. Well played ANC."

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@vincentjudah said:

"It's sad that this was such a significant source of employment in the first place. The government needs to create real jobs for people."

Other Briefly News stories on domestic worker dynamics

• TikTok content creator @shuhshu11 stirred controversy after posting a clip showing herself donning pink rubber gloves to scrub, hose down, and sanitise her outdoor wheelie bins after her domestic helper had knocked off for the day.
• A candid Reddit discussion spotlighted the daily realities, frustrations, and indignities domestic helpers face in South African households, highlighting issues around emotional labour, low wages, and unrealistic expectations.
• A South African homeowner (@vuyohub) sparked a viral debate after posting a TikTok video showing clean laundry spread neatly across her green lawn on a sunny day because the outdoor washing line was full.

Source: Briefly News