Leave & BCEA
Parental leave
10 consecutive days of parental leave for a parent who is not the birth-mother.
Full definition
Parental leave (BCEA Section 25A, inserted by the Labour Laws Amendment Act 2018) entitles a parent who is not the birth-mother to 10 consecutive days of parental leave, claimable from UIF. Adoption leave (10 weeks for the primary adoptive parent) and commissioning parental leave apply in surrogacy arrangements.
See also
Maternity leave
4 consecutive months of maternity leave, with UIF benefits payable during the leave.
BCEA
The Basic Conditions of Employment Act sets the minimum working hours, leave and pay conditions for South African employees.
UIF
The Unemployment Insurance Fund is a 1% employee + 1% employer contribution capped at R17,712 monthly earnings.
Automate Parental leave in your payroll
Payroll Africa handles Parental leave calculations automatically for South African employers — SARS-aligned for 2026/27. From R90/month.
Browse the full South African payroll glossary — 55 terms explained.
