[South Africa] Low ranking for maternity pay

A recent report shows South Africa ranking among the lowest countries in the world for maternity pay and statutory benefits for new mothers, Mail & Guardian reports.

The country ranked 171 in a maternity pay survey of more than 190 countries, conducted by payroll company Moorepay. Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and the US were also cited among those countries with little to no monetary benefits for new mothers. 

The survey reportedly analysed maternity leave by reviewing legislation in each country, calculating the average value using World Bank income data, and adjusting for the cost of living through Purchasing Power Parity, which reflects what a dollar can buy in the US compared to other nations.

Pregnant employees in South Africa are reportedly entitled to at least four consecutive months of maternity leave, under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. The leave is unpaid, however, employees can claim up to 60 per cent of their salary from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).

Self-employed women are not entitled to the UIF. 

Speaking to the Mail & Guardian, Charlene May - director at the Women’s Legal Centre - said, “A significant number of women in South Africa work in the informal sector, or in sectors such as sex work, where their labour is not formally recognised, despite the fact that they contribute meaningfully to our economy and the wellbeing of their families. 

“The reality is that care work, which women perform daily, remains both unrecognised and unpaid, even though it is essential to the wellbeing of society as a whole.

The survey found that Norway offers the highest average maternity pay in the world (up to $73 995). 

South Africa also ranked poorly on paid maternity leave, placing at 193, just one below eSwatini at 192.

“There are only four countries in the world that offer no paid maternity leave: the United States, Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Tonga,” the survey said. 

Romania reportedly offers the longest maternity leave by a significant margin, with women able to claim 85 per cent of their average income over the previous six months. The first 63 days of postnatal leave are mandatory to promote the health of the mother and child, and leave can continue for up to two years. 

African countries that do offer paid maternity leave, though it remains low, include Burundi, Somalia, Mozambique, Malawi, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, eSwatini and Uganda. 

In South Africa, the amount claimed from the UIF during maternity leave depends on the individual’s previous earnings. It is typically a percentage of their regular salary. 

“There is a clear link between care work, maternity benefits and the right to social security protection, yet our current framework, which recognises only formal labour, fails to acknowledge this. As a result, women working in informal sectors are trapped in cycles of poverty,” Ms May said. 

“We urgently need to confront the bias in how society values women’s work, both in the home and in every workplace, and to ensure that their contributions are recognised and protected.”

Source: Mail & Guardian

(Link and quote via original reporting)

A recent report shows South Africa ranking among the lowest countries in the world for maternity pay and statutory benefits for new mothers, Mail & Guardian reports.

The country ranked 171 in a maternity pay survey of more than 190 countries, conducted by payroll company Moorepay. Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and the US were also cited among those countries with little to no monetary benefits for new mothers. 

The survey reportedly analysed maternity leave by reviewing legislation in each country, calculating the average value using World Bank income data, and adjusting for the cost of living through Purchasing Power Parity, which reflects what a dollar can buy in the US compared to other nations.

Pregnant employees in South Africa are reportedly entitled to at least four consecutive months of maternity leave, under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. The leave is unpaid, however, employees can claim up to 60 per cent of their salary from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).

Self-employed women are not entitled to the UIF. 

Speaking to the Mail & Guardian, Charlene May - director at the Women’s Legal Centre - said, “A significant number of women in South Africa work in the informal sector, or in sectors such as sex work, where their labour is not formally recognised, despite the fact that they contribute meaningfully to our economy and the wellbeing of their families. 

“The reality is that care work, which women perform daily, remains both unrecognised and unpaid, even though it is essential to the wellbeing of society as a whole.

The survey found that Norway offers the highest average maternity pay in the world (up to $73 995). 

South Africa also ranked poorly on paid maternity leave, placing at 193, just one below eSwatini at 192.

“There are only four countries in the world that offer no paid maternity leave: the United States, Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Tonga,” the survey said. 

Romania reportedly offers the longest maternity leave by a significant margin, with women able to claim 85 per cent of their average income over the previous six months. The first 63 days of postnatal leave are mandatory to promote the health of the mother and child, and leave can continue for up to two years. 

African countries that do offer paid maternity leave, though it remains low, include Burundi, Somalia, Mozambique, Malawi, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, eSwatini and Uganda. 

In South Africa, the amount claimed from the UIF during maternity leave depends on the individual’s previous earnings. It is typically a percentage of their regular salary. 

“There is a clear link between care work, maternity benefits and the right to social security protection, yet our current framework, which recognises only formal labour, fails to acknowledge this. As a result, women working in informal sectors are trapped in cycles of poverty,” Ms May said. 

“We urgently need to confront the bias in how society values women’s work, both in the home and in every workplace, and to ensure that their contributions are recognised and protected.”

Source: Mail & Guardian

(Link and quote via original reporting)