South Africa has lost almost 400,000 domestic worker jobs in the last five years, with emigration and cost-cutting measures largely blamed for the decline.
As reported by BusinessTech, the SweepSouth report reveals that 19 of domestic workers lost their jobs in the past financial year alone.
While 16 of these losses were due to employers no longer being able to afford help, down from 25 in 2023 and 2024, a growing number of job losses are linked to families relocating, with nearly half moving overseas and over a third moving to other cities within South Africa. SweepSouth CEO Lourandi Kriel noted that the economy's lack of growth and changing post-pandemic lifestyles have compounded the issue.