Is it fair for a general worker to earn less than R30 an hour?

The long answer

No, it is not.

Firstly, the national minimum wage went up to R30,23 per hour from 1 March 2026. This is recorded in the Government Gazette 54075. 

The national minimum wage would apply to a general worker, as well as a domestic worker and a farm worker.

According to Indeed Durban Salary Guides, a receiving clerk does tasks like processing Goods Received Notes (GRN) and maintaining warehouse documentation. 

They say that in Durban, a receiving clerk’s wage ranges from R36,90 per hour for entry-level to R84,00 per hour for mid-level roles. They say that this depends on how complex the inventory and system entry tools used are, and works out at roughly R5,000 to R9,900 per month. 

Indeed says that a packer is mostly doing physical work, wrapping, boxing, or organising goods for distribution or shelf display. They say that the average monthly salary in Durban ranges from R4,500 to R7,500 per month. This would be R25,96 per hour if the packer worked 40 hours in a week, and R23,08 if he worked 45 hours for the R4,500 salary. For the R7,500 salary, it would be R43,26 per hour for 40 hours and R38,46 per hour for 45 hours.     

Wishing you the best,
Athalie