Domestic workers: the one million helpers behind the economy
Domestic workers a driving force in the economy
● The cost of a night out for two, including a three-course dinner and wine at restaurants in affluent suburbs such as Parkhurst and Camps Bay, can easily climb to R1 000. That amount is just more than a third of the minimum wage paid to South Africa’s domestic workers per month. Yet without the help of these women many diners might not have the time to enjoy that dinner.
The average income of domestic workers, according to a survey published this week by on-demand domestic service platform SweepSouth, showed that the 500 workers polled earn between R3 000 and R4 000 per month. But many earn less.
Fairuz Mullagee, coordinator of the Social Law Project at the University of the Western Cape, said domestic workers form an integral part of overall economic activity and possess commercial economic value over and above their intrinsic social value.
The work they provide, not only in South Africa but around the world, allow many people to take up work outside the home.
“It perpetuates class, race and gender inequality, and enables women to spend more time being economically and socially active. The domestic worker takes on the responsibilities of taking care of their employer’s home, while creating economic and social deficits in their own homes,” she said.
SweepSouth’s research showed domestic workers spend their salaries on transport, food, electricity, rent, school fees and airtime. Only around 20% of those polled said they were in a position to save.
South Africa is one of a few countries that has a minimum wage for domestic work. Mullagee said despite the wage being low, the new national minimum wage is unlikely to affect the lives of domestic workers much, even if it is slightly higher.
The minimum wage for domestic workers is in urban areas working more than 27 hours a week is R13.05 an hour. In rural areas the hourly rate is R11.89. For those who work less than 27 hours a month, the rate in urban areas is R15.28 and in rural areas R14.03.
The new national minimum wage agreed on — still to be implemented — will be R3 500 a month. Domestic workers’ rate will be 75% of the new minimum hourly rate of R20.
About a million women in South Africa are domestic workers. According to Stats SA, the occupation has a high unemployment rate. Last year 36 000 jobs in this sector were lost.
Daniela Casale, an associate professor in the School of Economic & Business Sciences at Wits University, said while it was difficult to calculate the value of domestic labour, economists had established if one had to pay fair market value for services such as childminding, eating out and transport for children, the cost would far outstrip what was paid to domestic workers.
Beyond its economic value domestic work holds social value, by reducing poverty and advancing gender equality.
Internationally, legislation on gender equality has pushed up female representation in the workplace, but in emerging economies affordable domestic work has also helped middle-class mothers work outside the home.
According UK-based consultancy for improving gender equality The Pipeline, women in that country, where domestic work is expensive, made up 16% of executive committees at FTSE 350 companies last year. But locally, the Business Women’s Association of South Africa’s 2017 census found the share of female executive managers at JSE-listed companies was 29.5%.
Despite all the value domestic workers have created in South Africa, many work under difficult conditions.
Lorah Dickson, 22, a Zimbabwean working in Cape Town, wakes up at 4am and leaves home at 5am to travel to the city’s suburbs where she works for several households. She returns to her mother and threeyear-old son at around 6pm, and proceeds to cook dinner and clean her home.
Though she is now happily employed, she had a string of experiences with abusive employers, who paid her short, late or not all.
“I could not find a proper job when I first came to South Africa. I worked from Mondays to Sundays and used to beg people for a place to sleep.”
SweepSouth’s survey found 84% of the respondents were sole breadwinners and 70% were single mothers.
Myrtle Witbooi, general secretary of the South African Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union, said the union dealt with between 50 to 100 complaints a week.
“Our work makes all work possible. What do we mean? They need us at their homes so they can run businesses and the country, yet they say we are of no value.”
While there had been a decline in the number of employed domestic workers last year, new people were entering the profession daily, Witbooi said.
The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration has received 277 complaints from domestic workers in the 2017-18 financial year.
Debbie Budlender, an independent research consultant who has conducted research on domestic workers for the International Labour Organisation, said that while domestic workers enabled more people to work outside the home, this should not only be understood in terms of a nuclear two-income household. Single parents are prime beneficiaries of their services.
“More children in South Africa live only with their mother than [those who] live with both mother and father”, so domestic work provides income for many single mothers to support their children, she said.
Our work makes all work possible Myrtle Witbooi General secretary SADSAWU