Overtime pay in South Africa 2026: premiums, limits and tax

Overtime, night work and work on Sundays and public holidays in South Africa can earn a premium on top of your normal hourly pay, and the extra pay is taxed at your highest rate. The calculator above shows what you really keep. Below you will find the rules in brief, an example and answers to common questions.

The rules in brief

• Basic Conditions of Employment Act: For employees earning below the BCEA earnings threshold, overtime is paid at 1.5 times the normal wage and limited to 10 hours a week (normal hours at most 45 a week). Work on a Sunday is paid double (1.5 times if you normally work Sundays) and work on a public holiday double.

Example: 8 hours of overtime a month

With a normal hourly rate of ZAR 153.85 (annual salary ÷ 52 ÷ weekly hours), 8 hours of overtime a month at +50% add ZAR 1,846.15 gross, of which you keep ZAR 1,263.69 net a month. You keep 68.4% of each taxed extra unit. Over a year that comes to ZAR 15,164 (net · ZAR 22,154 gross).

More than 80 overtime hours a year exceeds the legal limit in Spain.

Frequently asked questions

Rules and official sources: see “Rules applied (2026)” above. Last checked: October 2026. The amounts are estimates for information, not financial or legal advice.