Domestic workers in South Africa – study sheds delicate on experiences of migrants from Malawi and Zimbabwe

Estimated 800,000 people work as domestic workers in South Africa. Most of them are black women from marginalized backgrounds. It is not surprising that most of the literature on domestic work focuses on women doing cleaning, cooking and caring. Missing from debates about the work experiences of domestic workers and their relationships with their employers are the experiences of men doing domestic work, work traditionally associated with femininity.

However, paid domestic work in South Africa was not always dominated by women. In the 1880s, when mining industry in Johannesburg, black men, not women, were preferred servants in white households. Known as boys for companyThey cooked, cleaned, nursed and cared for white colonial families.

But over the next decade, the homework landscape has changed significantly. This has happened due to several factors, including:

A compact proportion of men still work as domestic workers. Some are migrantsGiven South Africa’s relative stability and economic opportunities, increase in migration from countries such as Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique since the end of apartheid in 1994. Migrants come in search of education, employment and better living conditions. They rely on friends and family already in South Africa find a job.

Although African women migrants from needy backgrounds often find work in home services or hotel sectormost migrant men work as gardeners, painters or security guardsSome male migrants from Malawi and Zimbabwe work as waiters or domestic workersprofessions traditionally associated with women.

Exploring Unknown Territory

As a researcher of domestic work in South Africa, I have noticed that few studies have focused on male migrant domestic workers in South Africa. Consequently, domestic work is commonly seen as an employment arrangement involving affluent employers and black domestic workers from marginalized backgrounds. The intersections of race, class, and gender between employers and domestic workers often lead to unequal power relations and economic exploitation rooted in the employment relationship.

In my study I investigated experiences of migrant domestic workers in Johannesburgwith the aim of shedding delicate on their duties and working conditions.

A Malawian domestic worker employed by a friend recommended other domestic workers in Johannesburg. Six Malawian and four Zimbabwean domestic workers employed by affluent white employers in Johannesburg were interviewed. All had been employed for more than five years.

The experiences of migrant men add a modern level of complexity to research on domestic work, which is entangled with intricate interconnections between class, race and gender.

Migrant Domestic Workers in South Africa

My research has shown that domestic work is a viable employment path for men.

They faced similar challenges female equivalentsThese included long working hours, paternalistic employer-employee dynamics, and marginalized professional status.

The respondents said they had a range of duties both inside and outside. Inside, their tasks included cleaning and tidying up their employer’s residences. They also did laundry and ironing, as well as duties such as grocery shopping and meal preparation.

Outside duties included gardening, pool maintenance, pet waste removal, cleaning outdoor braai areas and sweeping driveways. They were also tasked with securing homes and looking after pets when their employers were away.

The daily life of men working at home was more or less the same as live-in domestic workersThe workday began at 06:30 with breakfast for the employers. After the employers left for work, they cleaned the house, prepared lunch, did laundry and tended the garden.

The long day of work often ended at 8pm, after preparing dinner for the employers. Most weekends were spent doing extra piecework as gardeners or painters for others.

Although employers’ homes were lavish, male domestic workers, like their female counterparts, lived in compact rooms in the yard, hidden from the employers’ view, as other researchers have shown. also. One-room accommodation was often furnished with basic furniture, not much different from the miserable living conditions of domestic workers during apartheid.

The men said they considered their earnings reasonable. They earned an average of R5,000 ($260) to R8,000 ($416) a month. This was significantly more than minimum wage 4067 R ($216) for a domestic worker working eight hours a day, five days a week in South Africa. Most said they could negotiate their wages, which would enable them to improve their well-being and that of their families.

None of the male domestic workers in the study had a written employment contract with their employer or were members of a trade union such as South African Domestic and Allied Workers Union. Employment contracts must be renewed every few years, which is high-priced and time-consuming. Job security is uncertain.

Recurring problems with homework

In South Africa, domestic work is still associated with marginalized black peopleperpetuating historical and social imbalances.

Paid domestic work still ranks low. No formal qualifications and little specialist knowledge are required. The contribution of domestic workers to the functioning of households is necessary but often taken for granted, as other studies have shown. also confirmed.

Despite legislationdomestic workers work long hours and perform physically demanding work. While male domestic workers in this study could negotiate better working conditions and pay, others might not be successful and might remain in a precarious work environment.

Job security is not guaranteed, and this is the most vulnerable situation migrant domestic workers experience.

Practical protection remains limitedFor example, domestic workers often encounter difficulties in accessing healthcare.

To protect this group from exploitation and improve their living conditions, regulators, law enforcement and trade unions must protect and recognise all domestic workers, including migrants, in South Africa.