As South Africans celebrate the arrival of the New Year, many workers will also be celebrating the formal introduction of the national minimum wage on Tuesday.
In November President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the National Minimum Wage Bill, which is expected to benefit about six million workers that currently earn below R3,700 a month.
The law was formulated at the National Economic Development and Labour Council following several years of deliberation starting in 2015, with parties agreeing in 2017 to set the minimum hourly wage rate at R20.
"This is the result of many decades of tireless struggle and is a powerful demonstration of the shared resolve of all social partners to tackle poverty and inequality," President Ramaphosa said in his New Year message.
Employers who are unable to pay the minimum wage due to business constraints can apply for an exemption.
