Find a cleaner near you.

What kind of cleaner do you actually need

Different needs, different arrangements:

• Once-off deep clean — for after a renovation, before moving in, or just when you’ve let things go. Usually a team of two for a few hours.
• Weekly cleaner — one day a week, all-areas, ironing usually included. Most common arrangement for South African households.
• Twice-monthly — for smaller flats or single people. Same scope as weekly, just less often.
• Live-in domestic worker — full-time, governed by labour law and minimum wage requirements.
• Hourly basis — for specific jobs like windows, oven deep clean, or a once-off blitz.

Be specific about which you need before you start contacting people.

Be clear about the scope

The single biggest source of disagreement: vague scope. Before you agree the price, decide:

• Which rooms? All of them, or just the main living areas?
• Bathrooms? Always a deep job — toilet, basin, bath, shower, floor.
• Floors? Sweep, mop, vacuum carpets, polish wood?
• Laundry and ironing? Spell out who does what.
• Windows and skirtings? Often left out of basic cleaning, ask explicitly.
• Cooking? Some arrangements include simple meal prep, most don’t.

A clear list now saves arguments later.

Agreeing the rate

VukaWork is a marketplace — cleaners and domestic workers set their own rates and you can accept, negotiate, or pick another worker. Beyond the headline number, the agreement is what really matters.

Factors that fairly affect the rate:

• The scope. A once-off deep clean is different from ongoing weekly help.
• Whose supplies. A cleaner who brings their own equipment fairly charges more.
• The area. Cape Town and Johannesburg sit at the higher end; smaller towns at the lower.
• Live-in vs. day work. Live-in arrangements are governed by South Africa’s National Minimum Wage — check current minimums at labour.gov.za. Accommodation and food allowances apply on top.

The safety question

Letting someone into your home is the part that worries most people. Two practical safeguards:

• Look for profiles with previous employer references.
• Be there for the first visit. It builds trust both ways and gives you a chance to show how things work.

For the payment side: a service that holds your payment safely until the work is done removes the cash awkwardness that often makes hiring stressful.

How VukaWork helps

• See cleaner profiles and trust signals before you commit.
• Set the scope and the price upfront, then choose your cleaner.
• Payment is held securely in escrow and released when the work is done.

Looking for cleaning work yourself?

VukaWork connects experienced cleaners and domestic workers with jobs near them. Build a profile that shows your experience, references and the kinds of homes you’ve cleaned. Get matched with work in your area. Get paid securely.

Download VukaWork — find a cleaner, or find cleaning work.