How to become an au pair in South Africa

What an au pair does in South Africa

The South African au pair is usually a live-out afternoon role. You collect children from school around 13:00, drive them to sport or activities, supervise homework, make a snack or an early supper, and keep the household calm until a parent gets home around 18:00. Some families need mornings, evenings or weekends too, and some offer a live-in arrangement with a room and meals. It is childcare and logistics, not housekeeping.

It suits students, gap-year matriculants, people studying part-time, and anyone who is good with children and wants steady, flexible work. Most roles run for a school year and many last through a whole degree.

Who families hire

Families on Au Pair Nation filter on a few things and score on the rest. The most requested:

• A driver’s licence. School runs across a city are the core of the job in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban. If you drive, say so; if you have your own car, say that too.
• Experience with their children’s ages. Babysitting, younger siblings, crèche work, Sunday school, coaching, tutoring: all of it counts. Babies and toddlers are the scarce skill.
• Reliability. A family plans their working life around you. Turning up on time every day matters more than any qualification.
• Non-smoker, comfortable with pets, confident swimmer. Common non-negotiables for families with pools and dogs.
• Languages. Homework help in English, Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa or Sepedi is valuable. List every language and how well you speak it.
• First aid. A one-day certificate makes you stand out and reassures parents.

You must be 18 or older

Every au pair on Au Pair Nation is at least 18, and identity is confirmed. If you are coming from another country, you need the legal right to live and work in South Africa before taking a placement; the platform does not arrange visas.

What you can earn

Live-out au pairs earn roughly R55 to R140 an hour depending on the city and whether they drive, which is R5,500 to R14,000 a month for a 20 to 25 hour week. Live-in au pairs earn R4,500 to R12,000 in cash plus room and board. Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs and Umhlanga pay the most; university towns pay less. See the pocket money guide for your area.

You are an employee, so you are entitled to written terms, leave, notice and UIF registration. Read the contract guide before you sign anything.

Build a profile that gets requests

Families see your photo, a short bio, your experience, languages, availability and what you’re looking for. The profiles that get requests:

• Lead with a clear, friendly photo of you, on your own, in daylight. Not a group shot, not sunglasses.
• Write a bio in your own voice. Why you like working with children, what you’re studying or doing, what a family can expect from you. Two or three short paragraphs.
• Be specific about experience. “Two years looking after my cousins aged 3 and 6, including school runs” beats “experienced with children”.
• Be exact about availability. Days, hours, start date, how long you can commit, and whether exams will affect it.
• Say what you want. Live-in or live-out, which areas you’ll travel to, the minimum pocket money you’d accept. Families respect clarity.

How requests and chat work

Families send you a connection request with a note. You see their household profile, their children’s ages, the hours and what they offer before you decide. Accept and a private chat opens; decline and they never hear from you. Nobody can message you until you say yes. If anything feels off, block and report in one tap.

Before you accept a placement

• Have a video call, then meet at the family’s home while the children are there.
• Ask about hours, holidays, fuel, and what happens when plans change.
• Do a paid trial of two or three afternoons.
• Get the agreement in writing before your first full week.
• Tell someone you trust where you’ll be. Our safety guide has the full checklist.

Ready?

Create your free profile. It takes about ten minutes, and families in your area are looking now.