Overtime and Break Laws in South Africa (2026)
Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997 (BCEA) · Reviewed 2026-10 · Private-sector employees
Overtime
Ordinary hours are 45 a week, 9 a day for a 5-day week (8 a day for more than 5 days). Overtime pays at least 1.5x.
Breaks and lunch
A meal interval of at least 1 continuous hour after more than 5 hours of continuous work. Unpaid unless the employee must work or be available.
Overtime in South Africa
- 1.5x pay for hours past 9 in a day.
- 1.5x pay for hours past 45 in a week.
- Use 8 hours as the daily limit for employees working more than 5 days a week (s. 9).
- Sunday work pays double, or 1.5x if the employee ordinarily works Sundays (s. 16).
- Public holiday work on a normal working day pays at least double (s. 18).
- Overtime needs agreement and is capped at 10 hours a week (s. 10). By agreement, overtime can be paid at 1x plus 30 minutes paid time off per hour, or 90 minutes paid time off per hour.
- Night work (after 18:00 and before 06:00) requires an allowance or shorter hours and transport (s. 17).
- Excluded: senior managers, travelling sales staff, workers under 24 hours a month, and employees earning above the threshold (R269,600.90 a year from 1 May 2026).
Averaging over a pay period: Allowed by collective agreement, averaging up to 4 months (max average 45 ordinary hours and 5 overtime hours a week). A written compressed week of up to 12 hours a day is also allowed.
What two weeks of work come to
Worked out by the rule above (1.5x after 45h in a week, 1.5x after 9h in a day). Hours.
| Two weeks of | Regular | Overtime (1.5x) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days of 8 hours, two weeks (80h) | 80 | 0 |
| 5 days of 10 hours, two weeks (100h) | 90 | 10 |
| 6 days of 9 hours, two weeks (108h) | 90 | 18 |
| 50 hours, then 30 hours (80h) | 75 | 5 |
Breaks and lunch in South Africa
- Meal break: 1 × 60 minutes, unpaid, for shifts of 5 hours or more.
| Shift | Rest breaks | Meal break |
|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | None | None |
| 6 hours | None | 1 × 60 min, unpaid |
| 8 hours | None | 1 × 60 min, unpaid |
| 10 hours | None | 1 × 60 min, unpaid |
| 12 hours | None | 1 × 60 min, unpaid |
- A written agreement can cut the meal interval to 30 minutes, or drop it for employees working under 6 hours a day.
- Any part of a meal interval beyond 75 minutes must be paid, unless the employee lives on the premises.
- Daily rest of 12 consecutive hours and weekly rest of 36 consecutive hours, normally including Sunday (s. 15).
Pay by South Africa rules in Kloqk
Kloqk is a free time clock. In Settings, open Payroll, press Rules by country and pick South Africa: the overtime and break rules above fill in, and every timesheet, report and payroll export follows them. Change any number to match your own contract.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the overtime rule in South Africa?
Ordinary hours are 45 a week, 9 a day for a 5-day week (8 a day for more than 5 days). Overtime pays at least 1.5x.
Can overtime be averaged over two weeks or a pay period in South Africa?
Allowed by collective agreement, averaging up to 4 months (max average 45 ordinary hours and 5 overtime hours a week). A written compressed week of up to 12 hours a day is also allowed.
What breaks are required in South Africa?
A meal interval of at least 1 continuous hour after more than 5 hours of continuous work. Unpaid unless the employee must work or be available.