Minimum wage for South Africa: A question of power

Abstract

The debate about a minimum wage waxed and waned for almost two decades, until it eventually reached the point at last where became law. What are the factors that determine why a country should introduce a minimum wage? Is the minimum wage a floor or a ceiling and what impact can we expect it to have on social and economic development? The authors discuss the minimum wage in the context of the legal, economic and political landscape of South Africa, paying specific attention to the vast inequality for which the country has become notorious. They use impressive data to make a compelling case to support the decision to pass the minimum wage legislation.