From 1 March 2026 the minimum wage in South Africa sits at R30.23 per hour. That's the headline figure most employers see — and it's the one most of them quote when they tell us what a junior hire will "cost". The number on the payslip and the number that actually leaves your bank account are not the same thing. This post walks through what the new rate translates to in real monthly pay, what you have to add on top as the employer, and what a loaded cost looks like across four common Cape Town s...