An Australian YouTuber and influencer has cited the affordability of domestic help as one of the reasons why she has chosen to raise her two children in South Africa.
Louisa Mac Queen, her husband and their two daughters have been settled in the country for several years
OZ MOMMY INFLUENCER REVEALS WHY SHE RAISES KIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA
On her social media platforms and YouTube channel, mommy blogger Louisa Mac Queen has repeatedly spoken of her decision to raise two children in South Africa with her husband.
The influencer has listed reasons such as access to Christian communities and schools, exposure to morals and respect, and a flourishing business.
Another significant reason is the affordability of domestic help
She shared: “We don’t want to work more just to have less time with our children. Having help in our home means all the domestic chores don’t fall on us as parents alone.
That gives us more time to actually BE with our kids. School events. Sport. Dance. Afternoons together. For us, that kind of ‘wealth’ is hard to give up.
Louisa added that while they acknowledged concerns of crime and racial tensions, their life in South Africa was “too good to leave”
She continued: “Moving to a wealthier country doesn’t automatically mean a better quality of life. My husband would leave a business he loves. We’d lose the support we are able to afford here. We’d likely both need to work full-time”.
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A post shared by Louisa Mac Queen (@louisamacqueen)
HOW MANY DOMESTIC WORKERS IN SA, AND WHAT DO THEY EARN?
According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) estimates, there are around 900,000 domestic workers currently working in South Africa. The figure is derived from a household survey and is not a count of registered workers.
Domestic workers are defined as people employed by households as cleaners, nannies, cooks, gardeners, drivers and carers, including live-in, live-out, casual and hourly workers.
Earlier this year, the Department of Employment and Labour officially confirmed the 2026 national minimum wage increase at 5%, or an additional R1.44 per hour.
All paid employees will now earn R30.23 per ordinary hour worked, up from last year’s R28.79.
For most domestic workers, the hourly rate translates to a weekly rate of R1360.35 (based on a 45-hour working week) and a monthly rate of R5,894.40 (based on an average month of 4.3 weeks or 195 hours worked).
The increase – which applies to both casual and permanent employment – came into effect on 1 March 2026.
The figure factors in a 3.5% Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation, and an additional 1.5% in percentage points.
