In South Africa, SweepStars struggle to shine: cost of living crisis hits cleaners (and employers) hard

New data shows that the cost of living remains a major concern for app-based domestic workers in South Africa, with costs in key categories (food, transport, education, and more) increasing in 2024 compared to 2023, mirroring a global trend.

According to responses from 5,600 SweepStars, as they're known when they work on the SweepSouth cleaning platform, for the company's 7th Annual Report, the average monthly earnings on the SweepSouth cleaning platform have increased compared to the previous year. Unfortunately these earnings still fall short of both the National Minimum Wage and the average annual Living Wage, which is enough to provide a decent standard of living for the worker and their family, as calculated by WageIndicator.

The stagnant economy, combined with marginal growth and geopolitical instability, has led to worrying financial pressures, with a growing number of cleaners being forced to work longer hours, or employers being forced to lay them off. 25% of those who have lost their job did so because their employer could no longer afford to pay them.
Moreover, the rising cost of living continues to squeeze workers' budgets, preventing them from saving or investing.

Do SweepSouth domestic workers in South Africa earn more than the National Minimum Wage?

In 2024, both the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and the average monthly earnings on the SweepSouth platform increased compared to the previous year. However, the NMW reached R5,378 in 2024 (compared to R4,067 in 2023), and to R5613.62 on the 1st of March 2025, while domestic workers on the SweepSouth platform (mostly women) saw their average earnings increase from R4 999 in 2023 to R5,242 in 2024.

Moreover, these estimates fall short of the Yearly Average Living Wage calculated by WageIndicator, which in 2024 stands at 10,106 (Living Wage Guidance Typical Family lowerbound).

 

 

As per SweepSouth’ data, all average hourly earnings are above the current NMW of R27.58 per hour. At the same time, when looking at hourly earnings at an individual worker level, the research found that while the majority of workers (54%) earn above the minimum wage, a worrying 46% earn less than the NMW.

This is particularly worrying given that 8 out of 10 workers surveyed are breadwinners.

Although they will benefit from the mandatory pay increase, the sector remains under significant pressure, as private households—the largest employers of domestic workers—have yet to recover from the strain of the past five years.

What are the main costs for domestic cleaners in South Africa - and for workers in general?

Water and telephone services appear to be the expenditure items with the highest price increases between 2023 and 2024, as per the quarterly WageIndicator cost of living data collection.

• The percentage increase is +26.79% for water (specifically, monthly expenditure on drinking water for a family)
• And a more than doubling +59% for mobile services, which include a monthly mobile data plan with at least 120 minutes of calls and 10GB of internet.

Other changes in individual costs for essential expenses across South Africa from 2023 to 2024 include the following items:

• Food prices increased by +3.89%, reflecting the cost of a basket of 71 items from the basic food groups (namely vegetables, cereals, fruits, dairy products, meat, beans, oils and sweets).
• Education costs, which account for all the extra costs associated with it (transport to and from school, meals, books, stationery, etc.), rose by 8.62%.
• Transport climbed by +13.08%, covering the price of a monthly travel pass (for a full-time working week) for public transport in most places or, unavailable, the price of a one-way ticket to the nearest town, converted into a monthly amount.
• Clothing prices are also on the rise, with monthly expenditure on clothing and footwear for a family of four increasing by 19.94%. This expenditure is adjusted proportionally to the size of the family.

Taxes and the cost of social security complete the picture with a staggering twofold increase.

These increased costs are eating into the disposable income of domestic cleaners in an unsustainable way. In most cases, there is nothing left to save or invest: 73% of workers surveyed don't earn enough to save, only 13% have savings or a pension and 35% are in debt.

 

Visit the FAQs page on cost of living data collection and Living Wages to answer any questions you may have.

Discover more country-specific insights into the cost of living for platform workers, from Latin America to Vietnam.