36% of domestic workers experienced job losses due to employer affordability issues: Report

Kaya Biz

GUEST - Lourandi Kriel, CEO SweepSouth
Inflation and the broader cost-of-living crisis are taking an immense financial and mental toll on South Africa’s domestic workers. That’s one of the standout findings from the seventh annual SweepSouth Report on Pay and Working Conditions for Domestic Workers released this week.
The report, which has tracked progress in the pay and working conditions of domestic workers since 2018, also reveals that living costs for the average domestic worker have increased by 15% in the past year, dwarfing the five percent earnings increase they accrued over the same period. Additionally, it shows that issues that arose at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, including lower job availability, remains stubbornly persistent.
The 2024 SweepSouth Report draws on survey responses from more than 5,600 workers and reveals that the domestic workforce remains predominantly female (92%), with most workers between the ages of 26 and 41 (64%). It also underlines the critical role that domestic workers play within their communities, with 83% as the sole financial support within their household. The average number of dependents remains high at four, underscoring their immense financial responsibility. . Kaya FM