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Your normal monthly salary before deductions or overtime.
This week I also worked
Normal Hourly Rate
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Total Overtime Pay
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Estimated Monthly Gross (with OT)
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How Overtime Pay Works in South Africa
BCEA Overtime Rules (Section 10)
The Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) governs overtime in South Africa. Section 10 sets out the rules for overtime work and pay for employees earning below the BCEA earnings threshold. The standard working week is 45 hours (9 hours/day over 5 days, or 8 hours/day over 5 days plus 5 hours on Saturday).
Key BCEA Overtime Provisions
- Overtime is limited to 10 hours per week and a maximum of 3 hours per day.
- Overtime must be by agreement between employer and employee.
- Weekday and Saturday overtime is paid at 1.5× the normal rate.
- Sundays are paid at a minimum of 1.5× if Sunday is a normal working day, or 2× if the employee does not normally work on Sundays.
- Public holidays are paid at 2× the normal rate.
- Maximum working hours including overtime must not exceed 12 hours per day.
- Compressed working week agreements may differ — consult your employment contract.
The normal hourly rate is derived from your monthly salary divided by the average monthly hours (weekly hours × 52 ÷ 12). This gives a consistent hourly base regardless of month length.
Overtime Pay = (Monthly Salary ÷ (Weekly Hours × 52/12)) × Multiplier × OT Hours
Note: The BCEA earnings threshold is reviewed periodically. Employees earning above the threshold are not automatically entitled to BCEA overtime provisions, though many employment contracts extend these benefits regardless of earnings level.