Millions of South African households depend on domestic workers to keep their homes clean and running smoothly. Unfortunately, many do so without giving full regard to those domestic workers’ daily struggles and challenges. Even those employers who understand that their domestic workers do face challenges may not be aware of how deep they run.
The latest edition of the SweepSouth Report on Domestic Worker Pay and Work lays those challenges bare. Unsurprisingly, inflation and the cost-of-living crisis have hit domestic workers particularly hard.
According to the report, the earnings of the average domestic worker have decreased five percent over the past year, while household costs increased 15%. That becomes even more concerning when you learn that 83% of domestic workers are the sole providers of financial support to their families. Approximately a third, meanwhile, feel trapped in a hopeless cycle of debt repayments. Small wonder then that mental health is a major concern, with 16% of respondents reporting a decline in the past 12 months.
“Of course, working South Africans of all income groups deal with many of the same stresses,” says SweepSouth CEO Lourandi Kriel. “Unlike their domestic workers, however, they usually have better resources at their disposal when dealing with those stresses. Even if an employer can’t afford to pay their domestic worker more, they can share some of those resources to help lighten their mental and financial loads.”
According to Kriel, there are numerous ways they can do so, including:
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Donate pre-loved clothing and household items
“If you’ve got pre-loved clothing or household items that are still in good condition, but which you no longer use, consider donating them to your domestic worker,” says Kriel. “While clothing works best if your domestic worker, their partner, or children wear similar sizes to you and your family, they may also choose to sell it within their communities, giving them a little extra financial breathing room.”
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Grant WiFi access
While the SweepSouth report shows that the median spend on mobile airtime and data by domestic workers has fallen from R119 to R96 today, that’s still a significant expense for people who earn what domestic workers do. By allowing your domestic worker access to your WiFi, you can help mitigate that expense.
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Help with upskilling
“Another advantage of giving a domestic worker access to your WiFi is that they can use it to upskill themselves,” says Kriel. “Whether it’s simply downloading instructional sewing or baking videos so they can start a side hustle or something more in-depth, providing that access can be more critical.”
Kriel also encourages employers whose domestic workers have expressed an interest in upskilling themselves to give them an hour during the day to focus on their courses or even to help them identify courses that can help drive their careers forward.
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Bulk buy food staples with them
“Alongside housing, food is the biggest expense for the domestic workers we surveyed,” says Kriel. “Employers can mitigate some of that expense by sharing some of the cost of monthly food staples such as rice, flour, and canned goods in bulk with their domestic workers. Doing so has the added advantage of saving the employer money too.”
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Help save for a rainy day
South Africa has a terrible culture of saving. In fact, the country’s household savings rate has been in negative territory since 2023. Employers can help their domestic workers buck that trend and save for a rainy day. One way of doing so would be to help the employee set up a higher-interest savings account and to pay a portion of their salary into that account every month.
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Consider loans at a lower interest rate than a lender would
“While an employer loaning money to an employee is always complex, it’s important to remember that many domestic workers don’t have access to formal lending structures,” says Kriel. “As a result, they end up turning to informal lenders who charge exorbitant interest rates. But even those who can access formal loans and credit can end up in trouble, especially with rising interest rates.”
“So, if an employer feels comfortable loaning their domestic worker money at a lower rate and is confident that they’ll be paid back in full then they’ll be giving that worker a significant financial leg up,” she adds.
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Discuss mental health
Given the decline in mental health that many domestic workers face, Kriel believes that it’s important for employers to discuss mental health with their employees.
“Just having an empathetic ear can go a long way to ensuring that a domestic worker feels heard,” she says. “But employers can also direct their employees to helpful resources like the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) or support groups like Al-Anon and Nar-Anon”.
Building lasting, trust-filled relationships
As Kriel points out, many of these forms of assistance aren’t that different from the benefits a corporate employer might offer its employees. They just exist on a different scale. “There’s a reason that corporates offer those benefits,” she says. “It’s because they foster a sense of trust and loyalty, meaning that people are less likely to leave and pursue opportunities elsewhere. Given the very personal relationship people have with domestic workers, shouldn’t they aim for that same kind of trust and loyalty?”