In South Africa, the money claimed from the UIF during maternity leave depends on the individual’s previous earnings, but typically, it is a percentage of their regular salary.
South Africa ranks among the lowest countries in the world when it comes to maternity pay and statutory benefits for new mothers, a recent report shows.
The country ranked 171 in a survey of more than 190 countries by payroll company Moorepay, on maternity pay. Papua New Guinea, Tonga and the United States were also ranked among countries with little to no monetary benefits for new mothers.
Under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, pregnant employees in South Africa are entitled to at least four consecutive months of maternity leave. The leave is unpaid, but employees can claim up to 60% of their salary from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).
While this is a form of temporary financial security, it does not include self-employed women.
“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,” Charlene May, the director at the Women’s Legal Centre told the Mail & Guardian.
“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.
Norway offers the highest average maternity pay in the world — up to $73 995 — which can also be used to pay for goods and services, according to the survey which analysed maternity leave by reviewing legislation in each country, calculating the average value using World Bank income data, and then adjusting for cost of living through Purchasing Power Parity, which reflects what a dollar can buy in America compared to other nations.
Dimming the view further, South Africa ranked poorly when it comes to paid maternity leave — coming in 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 offers the longest maternity leave by a decent margin, with mothers able to claim 85% 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, according to the survey.
African countries that offer paid maternity leave, albeit low, include Burundi, Somalia, Mozambique, Malawi, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, eSwatini and Uganda.
In South Africa, the money claimed from the UIF during maternity leave depends on the individual’s previous earnings, but typically, it is 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,” said May.
“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,” she added.