Domestic worker’s pay disappears before month ends

By Selloane Ntshonyane

• Zanele Khoza says her entire salary is gone before the end of the month, forcing her to buy cheaper food and sometimes borrow money to survive.

• Domestic worker groups say many workers are still paid below the national minimum wage while the rising cost of living pushes families deeper into poverty.

Zanele Khoza works long days cleaning and caring for other people’s homes.

But when she gets paid at the end of the month, her salary is gone almost immediately.

The 42 year old domestic worker from Phelindaba Informal Settlement earns R2,500 a month.

She works from 8am until 7pm, Monday to Friday.

Despite working full time, she says making ends meet has become harder every month.

Khoza is also supporting her three children, aged 20, 16 and eight, who live with her sister.

She carefully plans every rand she earns.

About R700 to R800 goes towards groceries.

She sends R1,000 to help care for her children.

She spends R360 on transport for weekend travel, R250 to refill her gas cylinder, R260 for funeral cover and about R100 on airtime.

By the time she has paid for everything, there is nothing left.

Sometimes her expenses are even more than the money she earns.

“It’s very hard because things are expensive,” she told Scrolla.Africa.

“I just buy cheaper food to make sure we have something to eat. I’ve stopped buying expensive cosmetics and doing my hair. Sometimes I even have to borrow money before payday.”

She remembers going shopping one day and realising the money she had could not even buy half of what her family needed.

That was when she saw just how much the cost of living had increased.

Khoza’s struggle is shared by many domestic workers across South Africa.

According to the Department of Employment and Labour, the national minimum wage is R30.23 an hour and this also applies to domestic workers.

But many workers say they are still paid less than the law requires.

Maggie Mthombeni, chairperson and co founder of the Izwi Domestic Workers Alliance, said rising prices have made life even harder for workers whose wages have not kept up.

“Many domestic workers are still not being paid the National Minimum Wage, even though it is the law,” she said.

The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group estimates that a healthy food basket for a family of four costs R3,836.78.

That is already more than Khoza’s entire monthly salary.

Black Sash Western Cape regional manager Thandi Henkeman said the organisation continues to see working people trapped in poverty.

“No one who works should still have to choose between feeding their family and paying for transport to work,” she said.

Despite the daily struggle, Khoza has not given up hope.

She believes life will improve one day.

“I trust in God that one day things will get better. If I was getting paid enough money, I would save for my children’s future, especially towards their education after matric,” she said.

For now, she keeps working long hours, stretching every rand and hoping for a better future for her family.

Pictured above: Woman cleaning

Image source: File