And very importantly, how?

The Unemployment Fund is an insurance service set up by the South African government. This service is a means of protecting employees who are let go from a job and need support through a period without income. The fund offers unemployment benefits, maternity benefits, illness benefits, adoption benefits as well as death benefits. 

For the most part, the majority of the workforce simply sees a deduction on their paycheck and, if they do not own a business, have never had to set up an unemployment fund for themselves or anyone else. However, you might need to learn how to set one up if you employ a domestic worker. Here is everything you need to know about the UIF and your domestic worker.

Do I need to pay UIF for my domestic worker?

The simple answer to this question is that anyone who employs someone for more than 24 hours per month needs to register them for UIF. Calculate the amount of time your domestic worker is paid for and if that is over 24 hours per month, then yes, you need to pay UIF for your employee.

I need to pay UIF for my domestic worker, what do I pay?

UIF monthly contributions is 2% percent of the employee’s salary every month. The way that your contributions work is that you contribute 1 % of the employee’s salary and deduct 1% of their salary from what you pay them, essentially paying UIF 2%.

How do I register?

To register for UIF you can follow any of the following steps:

  •  Phone 012 337 1680
  • Email domestics@uif.gov.za
  • Mail to
    The UIF
    Pretoria
    0052
  • Visit an in-person Labour Centre

Additionally, there is a digital portal available to register through. In order to register through this ufiling website, you first need a reference number from one of the above-mentioned avenues, and then you are able to register online.