How to hire an au pair in South Africa

Decide what you actually need

Most South African families hire an au pair for the afternoon gap: school finishes between 13:00 and 14:30, parents get home after 17:30, and somebody has to do the school run, supervise homework, drive to sport and keep everyone fed and calm. Write that down as a weekly grid before you look at a single profile. Which days, which hours, which schools, which activities, and what happens on the days sport runs late.

Then separate must-haves from nice-to-haves. A driver’s licence is a must-have if the school run crosses a city. First aid is a must-have for many families with a pool. A specific language is a must-have if homework is in it. Everything else, from a university degree to a love of dogs, is a nice-to-have. On Au Pair Nation your must-haves become filters and your nice-to-haves feed the score, so this decision shapes your matches directly.

Live-in or live-out

Live-out is the norm in the big metros: the au pair arrives at lunchtime and leaves in the evening. Live-in suits families with a cottage or spare room, long distances from the universities, parents who travel, or towns with few local candidates. Live-in au pairs earn less cash but need clear hours, days off and privacy. See our guide on live-in versus live-out.

Know the going rate

Pay depends on your city, driving and experience. A live-out au pair in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs earns more than one in Bloemfontein, and a driver with a car earns more than a student who walks. Our pocket money guide has ranges for every major area. Decide your budget before you interview, including fuel, and be honest in your profile; an au pair who feels underpaid leaves at the end of the term.

Write a profile that attracts the right people

Au pairs choose families as much as families choose au pairs. The profiles that get accepted quickly say who the children are (ages, personalities, needs), what a normal week looks like, what you provide, and what kind of person fits your home. Photos of the adults, the house or the garden help; photos of children’s faces are not allowed on Au Pair Nation and shouldn’t be on the internet anyway.

Shortlist from your matches

Matches are ranked out of 100 with the reasons shown: shared languages, experience with your children’s ages, availability, distance, pocket money fit, certifications and lifestyle. Read the reasons, not just the number. A 78 who lives five minutes away and speaks the language your child does homework in can be a better hire than a 91 across town.

Send a request with a short, warm note. Say why you picked them. Au pairs accept requests that feel personal and decline ones that read like a job advert.

Interview properly

Chat first, then a video call, then a meeting at your home while the children are around. Ask about real situations: a child who won’t do homework, a fender-bender on the school run, a sibling fight, a parent running two hours late. Listen for calm, practical answers. Check references from previous families or employers, and confirm the driving licence and first aid certificate by looking at them. Our interview guide has a full question list.

Do a paid trial

Two or three paid afternoons before you commit tells both sides more than any interview. Watch how the au pair is with the children, how they handle the car, and whether the routine works. Pay the normal rate for the trial.

Put it in writing

An au pair working for your household is your employee. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act requires written particulars: hours, pay, leave, notice and duties. You also need to register for the Unemployment Insurance Fund if they work more than 24 hours a month, and with the Compensation Fund. It sounds heavy; in practice it is a two-page agreement and two online registrations. Our contract guide walks through both.

Mistakes families make

• Hiring for a degree instead of a temperament. Patience, reliability and common sense matter more than a transcript.
• Vague hours. “Afternoons, and sometimes evenings” leads to resentment within a month. Write the grid down.
• Adding housework. An au pair looks after children. Cleaning the whole house is a different job at a different rate.
• Skipping the trial. Three paid afternoons cost less than a bad three-month placement.
• Ignoring the university calendar. If your au pair is a student, exams in May and October and the December break are coming. Plan cover.
• No written agreement. It protects the au pair and you, and it’s the law.