A midwife is a health professional trained to support and care for women during pregnancy, labor and birth. They help you to stay healthy in pregnancy and, if no complications arise, to give birth with little intervention. Midwives also care for you and your baby in the first few weeks following the birth.
Midwife Salary In South Africa
In this post I am going to give you every detail you need to know about a midwife’s salary in South Africa.
Midwives are basically trained to care for the mother and newborn during childbirth. They help conceived mothers deliver safely and also provide other related services surrounding birth.
Like many other countries in the world, midwives’ functions are similar to that of nurses. Although midwifes specialize and focus on post-natal and prenatal care, they perform the duties of nurses in many hospitals.
If you are planning to pursue a career in midwifery and want to know the salary of midwifes, then you need to read this post to the end as I bring you the salary components of midwifes, monthly salary and annual salary in South Africa.
It is obvious, in every country, the salary paid to workers in the public sectors always differ from that of the private sector. This post focuses much on the salary of midwives in the public/government sector.
We will also touch a little on the salary of midwives working in the private sector.
Monthly salary of midwifes
Classification of midwives (RM)
Staff midwife
Professional nurse (general nurse, specialist nursing, nursing education).
Under the various classifications, there are grade 1, 2 & 3.
Midwife Salary Components
The various components of a midwife salary are explained below.
The management level salary is based on a Total Cost to Employer package whiles production and supervisory levels are based on a basic salary with the following allowances
Housing – R 1670
Medical aid – R 16 872 – R 64668
Birthday bonus – 8,333%
Uniform allowance
Standby allowance
Contributions to pension schemes – 13%
Rural and inhospital allowances – 12% and 8%
See the salary of the various nurse’s classification in the table below.
Midwives Salary
| Midwife | Net Salary |
| Professional midwife (community service) | R 20 687 |
| General (Grade 1) | R 18 846 |
| General (Grade 2) | R 22 465 |
| General (Grade 3) | R 26 365 |
| Operational Manager (Grade 1) | R 29 801 |
| Operational Manager (Grade 2) | R 33 607 |
| Assistant Manager | R 36 146 |
| Deputy Manager (Level 1 and 2) | R 37 049 |
| Manager (Level 3) | R 40 782 |
| Staff grade 1 | R 13 274 |
| Staff grade 2 | R 15 595 |
| Staff grade 3 | R 17 929 |
| Assistant Grade 1 | R 10 697 |
| Assistant grade 2 | R 12 373 |
| Assistant Grade 3 | R 14 468 |
Annual income of midwives
A midwife is estimated to earn between R300 000 – R 350 000 annually.
How much is a midwife paid in South Africa?
The average midwife salary in South Africa is R 411 000 per year or R 211 per hour. Entry-level positions start at R 372 000 per year, while most experienced workers make up to R 4 200 000 per year.
How do I become a midwife in South Africa?
To qualify as a midwife, one must obtain basic nursing training, as well as an advanced diploma in Midwifery. Nursing training can be undertaken at UKZN, Wits, NWU, UJ, US, UL, UWC, UCT, UZ, UV, UNISA. Midwifery is available at UCT and UNISA. Nursing is also offered at CPUT, TUT and Community Nursing at VUT.
How long is a midwifery course in South Africa ?
three years
Your midwifery training
Approved full-time midwifery degree courses last for three years. Half your time is spent studying at university and half gaining practical, supervised experience in a range of settings. If you are working in a relevant role, it’s possible to take a part-time course lasting five or six years.
What does a midwife do South Africa?
Midwives in South Africa are nurses who focus on the care of pregnant women and the delivery of babies. Midwives have the ability to work independently in cases of healthy pregnancies and problem-free deliveries; however, they can refer patients to gynecologists or obstetricians when complications are diagnosed.
How long does it take to become a midwife in South Africa?
four years
In order to become a midwife in South Africa, a person will need to undergo at least four years of training, according to a 2017 case study by the African Institute of Health & Leadership Development regarding nursing and midwifery in South Africa.
Are midwives in high demand in South Africa?
Job Growth in the Field
Job growth for certified nurse-midwives is strong—11% through 2030, according to the BLS. In addition to demand, a career as a nurse-midwife or in other APRN specialties can be attractive because these nurses practice with a high degree of responsibility and autonomy.
Is being a midwife stressful in South Africa?
Student midwives can experience stress due to the academic or placement workload, mentor issues or a distressing experience in placement. But social factors might also impact on how well a student midwife can cope with the demands of the course, for example childcare issues, illness or problems within the family.