Au pair, nanny or domestic worker: which does your family need?

Three different jobs

South African families use the words loosely, but they describe different roles.

An au pair looks after children for part of the day, usually afternoons, and handles the logistics: school runs, sport, homework, snacks. Au pairs are typically students, recent matriculants or young graduates, often drive, and are hired for a school year at a time. They do not do the household’s cleaning.

A nanny provides full-time or near full-time childcare, often for babies and toddlers who are not yet at school, and often over many years. Nannies bring deep hands-on experience with young children and usually work day hours, sometimes live-in.

A domestic worker runs the home: cleaning, laundry, cooking. Many also help with children, and in many South African households the domestic worker is the constant presence. But childcare is an addition to the role, not its purpose.

Which one fits

Your situation	Usually fits
Children at school, parents home by evening, need afternoon cover and driving	Au pair
A baby or toddler at home all day	Nanny
School-age children plus a home that needs running	Domestic worker, often with an au pair for afternoons
Both parents travel, need someone on site	Live-in au pair or live-in nanny
Homework, sport and a car more than hands-on care	Au pair

The most common arrangement in the metros is a domestic worker during the day plus an au pair from lunchtime, with clear lines between the two.

Hours and cost

Au pairs typically work 20 to 30 hours a week and earn R55 to R140 an hour depending on the city and whether they drive, or R5,500 to R14,000 a month. See the pocket money guide. Nannies work 40 to 45 hours and earn a monthly salary that varies widely by experience and city. Domestic workers are covered by the national minimum wage and typically work day hours.

The legal side is the same

All three are employees of the household. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the National Minimum Wage Act, UIF and the Compensation Fund apply to each, and each needs written particulars of employment. The contract guide explains what to write down.

Making a combined arrangement work

• Write separate agreements with separate duties, so nobody is quietly doing two jobs.
• Be clear who is in charge of the children at each hour. Overlaps cause friction.
• Pay each role at its own rate; an au pair asked to clean, or a domestic worker asked to drive the school run, should be paid for it and agree to it.
• Introduce them properly and set expectations about the shared kitchen, the car and the children’s routines.

Where an au pair is the wrong choice

If you need someone from 07:00 to 18:00 with a baby, an au pair is not the answer; you need a nanny. If your main need is a clean house, hire a domestic worker. Au pairs are for the afternoon gap with school-age children, and that is where they are excellent.