🇿🇦 Working time rules
Working Time Rules: South Africa
South Africa: standard working hours, overtime, rest, annual leave, and record-keeping rules - a practical overview, not legal advice.
This is a general overview, not legal advice. Limits, reference periods, exceptions, and record-keeping duties vary by sector and contract and change over time. Confirm the current rules with the official source and a qualified adviser.
Standard work week45 hours per week9 hours a day over 5 days
Minimum annual leave21 days21 consecutive days or 15 working days per year (3 weeks).
Statutory working time
Under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997 (s.9), an employer may not require or permit an employee to work more than 45 hours per week. On a 5-day week this means a maximum of 9 hours per day; on a 6-day week, 8 hours per day.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.