The latest SweepSouth Annual Report illustrates that domestic workers are facing economic hardship and mental health challenges. Despite a slight increase in earnings, rising living costs and job insecurity continue to plague this essential workforce.
‘You don’t get to rest, everything in the house is up to you. You can’t have a social life. It hurts that you spend so little time with your family, you can’t attend any school event, or take your kids to hospital because you are making it hard for the boss. It is like you are in prison.”
These are the words of a domestic worker who spoke to Daily Maverick on condition of anonymity.
Abuse in the workplace, deteriorating mental health, and rising living costs are some of the issues highlighted in SweepSouth’s Seventh Annual Report on Pay and Working Conditions for Domestic Workers.
The online platform connects domestic workers with employers and advocates for improved working conditions within the domestic work sector. The report offers a comprehensive look at the financial circumstances and working conditions experienced by domestic workers in the country.
Data in the report was collected from 3 to 10 July 2024, the survey was distributed via SMS and WhatsApp with a total of 5,617 responses. The majority of respondents were women (92%) and between the ages of 26 and 41 (64%). The nationality of respondents was split between South Africa (37%) and Zimbabwe (59%), with Malawi (3%), Lesotho (1%) and other nationalities making up the remainder.
“While positive trends in earnings and savings offer glimmers of hope, the persistent issues of low wages, job insecurity, safety concerns and mental health struggles highlight the urgent need for collaborative action.
“The data in the report only captures part of the consequences of job losses, which can push domestic workers and their families into precarious circumstances. Navigating the challenges ahead will require strong leadership and decisive action,” said Luke Kannemeyer, SweepSouth group chief operating officer.
Read more: Pinky Mashiane – fighting for domestic workers’ rights all in a day’s work
Financial strain and longer working hours
The report notes that financial pressure on domestic workers remains high, with 83% being the main earners in their household, and 60% supporting four or more people in their household.
“It is very difficult, but I have to do this because I am the breadwinner. I have two children and need to send money back home to support my mother,” said a Malawian domestic worker who spoke to Daily Maverick on condition of anonymity.
“It is only me working and it is not much [money] that I get but it is better than nothing.”
The report highlighted the demanding working conditions of domestic workers, with the median number of days worked per week as five, and a notable 7% of domestic workers working seven days a week.
“This suggests that economic pressures may be driving longer working hours, potentially impacting workers’ wellbeing and family life,” read the report.
One domestic worker who spoke to Daily Maverick on condition of anonymity said her days start at 4am and typically end at around 9pm.
“I work every day and get off once a month, which is the weekend I’m getting paid and on that day I knock off whenever the boss comes from work, so no exact time, and I must be back to work on Sunday because I have to bath kids before they sleep and prepare school things for Monday,” she said.
The report noted that more than a third (36%) of domestic workers reported losing employers due to affordability issues.
“This highlights the financial strain on employers and the precarious nature of domestic work, where job security is often tied to the employer’s financial stability. These findings emphasise the need for interventions to ensure fair working hours and enhance job security within the domestic work sector,” read the report.
One domestic worker said she felt her job was not secure, which made her feel uneasy.
“There is no guarantee or job security because you don’t sign anything, it’s a month-to-month agreement, nothing binding anyone. I have experienced a job loss due to the family struggling financially. I was with that family for more than three years and I was left with nothing, not even a cent to fall back on that’s the sad thing about being a domestic worker,” she said.
Rising earnings, but soaring living costs
The report notes that median earnings for domestic workers who use SweepSouths’ SweepStar app have increased from R4,999 in 2023 to R5,242 in 2024. Workers who are not on the SweepStar platform have also seen an increase from R2,992 in 2023 to R3,404 in 2024.
“Continued increases matched with better enforcement hold the potential for significant improvement in domestic worker earnings in the years to come,” read the report.
However, earnings still struggle to beat the rising cost of living. The report notes that costs have increased by 15% overall from 2023 to 2024, with the majority of categories showing a considerable increase.
Expenditure on housing has increased by 17% since last year’s report, while transport and electricity have increased by 10% and 8% respectively. The total median expenses for housing (R1,268), food (R1,241), transport (R606), electricity (R357), data/airtime (R96), and other items (R640) brings the basic cost basket to R4,207 per month.
“These increases in the expenses of domestic workers will put further pressure on their budgets, eating into their disposable income and affecting their ability to save, pay off debt, or invest in their future and education,” read the report.
Financial insecurity is widespread, with 75% of workers unable to save money each month. While there’s a positive trend towards savings and pension participation, 35% of domestic workers are in debt, with a third feeling trapped in a hopeless repayment cycle, according to the report.
“Basically if you can survive with what you have been given, it’s from pocket to mouth. You can’t manage anything, you just use what you have on basics like feeding your kids. This is my only source of income, I’m not coping at all with what is happening with the economy, you just can’t survive on what I’m getting but you train your mind to accept,” said one domestic worker.
The dark side of domestic work environments
An ongoing concerning aspect of domestic work is the issue of safety and abuse. The survey results indicate that 6% of domestic workers do not feel safe in their employer’s home and that 22% of domestic workers reported experiencing some form of abuse in their workplace, whether verbal, physical or sexual.
“This figure underscores the vulnerability of domestic workers and the urgent need for interventions to ensure their safety and wellbeing. This acts as a stark reminder that despite the essential role domestic workers play, their work environments can sometimes expose them to unacceptable risks,” read the report.
One domestic worker said that abuse was frequent in the household where she worked.
“Verbal abuse can come from the children, extended families or the employees themselves. The kids throw stuff on you or even spit and you can’t complain you have to smile and that alone cuts deep. You are not allowed to eat certain things, for example, you must eat bread the whole day, if it happens that you eat bread with butter she will deduct it from your wages, ” she said.
“Extended family members expect you to run around for them doing errands; on the other hand, you have your daily chores that you need to finish before kids come home from school.
“They also make you sleep in [the] worst conditions because you have to sleep on the floor in the garage. When you are sick you can’t take a day off and you are reminded all the time that you are the ‘aunty’ here, you can’t share a bathroom with them nor share the table, but they eat the food you have prepared for them. That alone is abuse.”
The mental toll of domestic work
A significant finding is that 16% of workers reported a negative impact on their mental wellbeing within the past year, with women being more affected than men. This could be attributed to the multiple pressures they face, including financial strain and balancing work and family responsibilities.
One domestic worker said she was mentally and physically drained.
“Emotional and physically, it is draining working hard for next to nothing and you are basically everything from being a mother to being a cleaner. How can you be well when you work so hard and go home with nothing?
“Paydays are the most depressing days ever and you have to be okay with everything because you want this little money but to be honest, getting R3,000-R3,500 a month from January to December is nothing,” she said.
The report included key recommendations to create a more equitable and sustainable domestic work sector including:
- Enforcing labour laws more rigorously
- Improving access to ongoing education and training for domestic workers
- Investing in mental health support, including accessible services
- Increasing support for workers facing abuse through education, reporting mechanisms and material assistance for survivors
- Fostering collaboration among government, private sector and civil society to drive data-driven solutions and advocate for the rights and wellbeing of domestic workers.
All the domestic workers Daily Maverick spoke to said they hoped for better working environments, fair working hours and fair wages.
“We accept whatever we are being offered because we are hungry, 0.1% of domestic workers are getting paid reasonable money for what they are doing. I wish people could spend just a day in our shoes to go through what we go through [...] people should remember we are human beings too and treat us accordingly,” said one worker. DM