• South Africa's minimum wage rose to R5,320 a month in March 2026. After transport and electricity, workers have R2,378 left.

• A family of four needs R3,667 for basic food each month. Minimum wage workers are left more than R1,000 short.

The National Minimum Wage increased by 5% on 1 March 2026, rising to R5,320.48 a month for a worker completing a full 22-day working month. The hourly rate moved from R28.79 to R30.23.

For most minimum wage workers in South Africa, one wage must cover the needs of a family of four.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

According to the March 2026 Household Affordability Index, published by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group, the wage increase provides little relief once basic costs are covered.

A minimum wage worker earning R5,320.48 spends R1,760 a month getting to work and back by taxi, based on a daily return fare of R80 over 22 working days. Prepaid electricity costs a further R1,181.85 a month. Together, transport and electricity take R2,941.85 from the wage.

That leaves R2,378.63 for everything else, including food.

A basic nutritional food basket for a family of four costs R3,667.72 a month. The shortfall on food alone is R1,289.09, a gap of 35%.

If that remaining R2,378.63 all went to food, each person in the family would receive R594.66 a month. The national food poverty line sits at R855 per person per month. Each family member would be eating 30% below the absolute minimum needed for basic nutrition.

The wage increase amounts to R241.92 extra a month. That is not enough to buy a 30kg bag of maize meal, which costs R305 in March 2026.

The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group said the National Minimum Wage is "a poverty wage" that "harms workers' health, reduces productivity in the workplace, and slows down economic growth."