Resources
Making it easier for families and carers
Templates you can download and use today, and short guides for the parts of hiring and working in a home that nobody explains.
Downloads
These are general templates, not legal advice. Employment law and minimum wages change, so check the current rules with the Department of Employment and Labour or the CCMA before you sign anything.
Employment contract
For a domestic worker, nanny, babysitter or au pair. Covers duties, hours, pay, UIF, leave, live-in accommodation, house rules and notice.
Payslip
A simple payslip to give with every payment, showing hours, earnings, UIF and other deductions, and net pay.
Interview questions
Questions for a first meeting, grouped by childcare, housekeeping, practical matters and safety, with space for notes.
Reference check
Ten questions to ask a previous employer over the phone, with room to write down the answers.
Emergency and routine sheet
Emergency numbers, each child's allergies and medicine, the daily routine and house rules. Stick it on the fridge.
Employer checklist
The basics every household employer in South Africa should have in place. Each step links to the official source.
Last checked against the linked sources in October 2026. Rates and forms change, so confirm before you rely on them.
- Put the job in writing Give your employee written details of the job when they start: duties, hours, pay, leave and notice. Both of you sign and keep a copy. Employment contract template
- Pay at least the national minimum wage From 1 March 2026 the minimum is R30.23 for each ordinary hour worked, and domestic workers are covered at the full rate. A worker must be paid for at least four hours on any day they work. Food, accommodation and transport allowances do not count towards the minimum. The rate is normally adjusted every year around March. Department announcement of the 2026 rate · 2026 minimum wage flyer (PDF)
- Register for UIF and pay it every month If your employee works for you for more than 24 hours a month, you must register them with the Unemployment Insurance Fund. You pay 1% of their wage and they pay 1%, which is the only UIF amount you may deduct from their pay. Register online with uFiling as a domestic employer, or use forms UI-8D and UI-19 at a labour centre. If they work for more than one household, each employer registers separately. How to register a domestic worker for UIF · Register on uFiling
- Register with the Compensation Fund Domestic workers are covered for injuries and illness caused by their work, whatever hours they work. Register as a domestic employer (form CF-1E) within seven days of employing someone, and submit a Return of Earnings each year when the window opens, normally 1 April to 31 May. The Compensation Fund call centre is 0860 105 350. Registration and claims procedure for domestic employers (PDF)
- Give a payslip every payday Show the hours worked, the rate, any overtime, each deduction and the net pay. Keep your own copies. Payslip template
- Give the leave the law requires This includes three weeks of paid annual leave a year, paid sick leave, family responsibility leave and at least four months of maternity leave. Paid public holidays apply when they fall on a normal working day. Department statement on domestic workers' conditions · Basic Conditions of Employment Act
- Keep deductions within the limits Apart from the 1% UIF contribution, you may only deduct what the law allows and your employee has agreed to in writing. For a live-in employee, the deduction for accommodation may not be more than 10% of the wage, and the room must meet the standards in the sectoral determination. Sectoral Determination 7: Domestic Worker Sector (PDF)
- Respect working hours There are legal limits on ordinary hours, overtime, night work and work on Sundays and public holidays, and overtime may only be worked by agreement and at a higher rate of pay. Agree the hours in the contract and stick to them. Basic Conditions of Employment Act
- End the job properly Give written notice: at least one week in the first six months and at least four weeks after that. Pay out everything owing, including leave not taken, and give a certificate of service. Certificate of service form for domestic workers (Word)
Guides for families
What the law expects from you as an employer
When you hire someone to work in your home, you become an employer, even if it is only a few days a week. In South Africa that generally means:
- Giving your employee written particulars of employment, which is what the contract template above is for.
- Paying at least the national minimum wage, which is R30.23 an hour from 1 March 2026 and usually changes every year.
- Giving a payslip with every payment.
- Registering for UIF if your employee works more than 24 hours a month.
- Giving paid annual leave, sick leave and family responsibility leave, and time off for maternity.
- Giving proper notice, in writing, if you end the employment.
Domestic workers are also covered for injuries at work under the Compensation Fund, and employers must register. The employer checklist above has each step with a link to the official source.
Registering your employee for UIF
If your employee works for you for more than 24 hours a month, you must register them with the Unemployment Insurance Fund. You contribute 1% of their wage and they contribute 1%, which you deduct and pay over together each month.
Registration and payments can be done online through uFiling, or at a labour centre. Keep proof of payment. UIF is what lets your employee claim if they lose their job, fall ill for a long time or go on maternity leave, so it matters to them.
How to run a good interview
Meet somewhere relaxed, ideally at home so the carer can see the space and meet the children. Start by describing the job honestly: the hours, the duties, the pets, the difficult bits.
Ask open questions about real situations rather than yes or no questions. "Tell me about a time a child was hurt in your care" tells you more than "Are you careful?" Watch how they are with your children, and leave time for them to ask you questions. Good carers are choosing you too.
The interview questions download has a full list you can print.
Checking references properly
Always phone, never rely on a letter alone. Ask how the referee knows the carer, the dates they worked together and why the job ended, then compare that with what the carer told you.
Listen for hesitation as much as for the words. The question "Would you hire them again?" is usually the most revealing. The reference check download gives you a script.
Doing a paid trial day
A trial day or week lets both of you see whether it works before you commit. Agree the day, hours and pay beforehand, and pay for it whether or not you go ahead.
Be at home for at least part of it. Show where things are, explain the routine and then step back and let them work. Afterwards, ask how they found it.
Setting up a good first week
Most problems in the first month come from things that were never said. Before day one, fill in the emergency and routine sheet, walk through the house together and agree on the rules that matter to you: phones, visitors, food, screen time, discipline.
Check in at the end of each day in the first week, and set a date a month in to talk about how it is going. Say thank you. Pay on time, every time.
Guides for carers
Know your rights at work
If you work in someone's home in South Africa, the law generally gives you:
- A written contract, or written details of your job.
- At least the national minimum wage.
- A payslip every time you are paid.
- UIF, if you work more than 24 hours a month for that employer.
- Paid annual leave, sick leave and family responsibility leave.
- Written notice if the job ends, and a certificate of service.
If you are not being treated fairly, you can ask the CCMA or the Department of Employment and Labour for help. It is free.
Making your KhayaKin profile stand out
Families look at the photo first, so use a clear, friendly photo of your face. Fill in every step, list your previous jobs and write a few honest sentences about yourself: what you enjoy, what you are good at, and what kind of family you are looking for.
References and a police clearance certificate make a big difference. Your dashboard shows a profile strength checklist with what is still missing.
Recording a good intro video
Keep it under a minute. Stand facing a window so there is light on your face, hold the phone steady at eye level and find a quiet spot.
Say your name, the work you do, how many years you have done it and one thing you love about it. Smile, and speak the way you would to a family at the door. You do not need to be perfect.
Preparing for an interview
Find out where you are going and how long the trip takes, and aim to be ten minutes early. Take your ID or passport and permit, your certificates and the phone numbers of your references.
Be ready to talk about your last job and why it ended. Ask your own questions too: the hours, the duties, the pay, leave and who you would report to. It is fine to ask for a written contract.
Training that helps you get hired
Families often filter for first aid, so a current first aid certificate is one of the most useful things you can have. Organisations such as St John and the South African Red Cross Society offer first aid courses in many areas.
Other training that families value includes child safety and CPR for babies, a driver's licence, cooking and nutrition for children, and care of the elderly. Add every course to your profile, with the year you completed it.
Getting a police clearance certificate
A police clearance certificate is issued by the South African Police Service. You apply at a police station with your ID or passport, your fingerprints are taken and there is a fee. It can take several weeks, so apply early.
While you wait, you can select "I have applied and am waiting" on your profile, and upload the certificate when it arrives.
Useful links
Official sources for the current rules, rates and forms. These sites are not run by KhayaKin.
The law
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997The main Act on working hours, leave, pay records, notice and more.
- Sectoral Determination 7: Domestic Worker Sector (PDF)The rules written specifically for domestic workers, including live-in accommodation.
- National Minimum Wage Act (PDF)The Act behind the minimum wage. The rate itself is updated by notice each year.
- National Minimum Wage amendment for 2026 (PDF)The gazette notice setting the rate from 1 March 2026.
Registering and paying
- How to register a domestic worker for UIFThe government's step-by-step answer, with the forms and contact details.
- uFilingRegister for UIF and pay contributions online.
- Compensation Fund: domestic employer registration and claims (PDF)How to register and what to do if your employee is injured at work.
Help and training
- Department of Employment and LabourMinimum wage, domestic worker rules, UIF and the Compensation Fund.
- CCMAFree help with workplace disputes, for employers and employees.
- South African Police ServiceHow to apply for a police clearance certificate.
- St John South AfricaFirst aid training.
- South African Red Cross SocietyFirst aid and community training.