Au Pair Duties in South Africa: Childcare, Not Heavy Housework

14 October 2026

In South Africa, au pair duties centre on childcare: feeding, supervising, school runs, play and homework help. Most families add light chores that tie directly to the children, like kids’ meals, their laundry and tidying play areas. Heavy housework isn’t standard. Hours, days off and pay are agreed up front and should respect South African labour rules where they apply.

TL;DR:

Keep chores limited to children’s meals, laundry, dishes, and play areas; exclude deep cleaning, the whole family’s laundry, garden work, and unrelated errands.

Write down hours, days off, pay, leave, and whether babysitting or standby is extra; record time worked and check terms against South African labor rules.

Before work starts, explain allergy plans, approved medicines and doses, emergency contacts, and where medical details are kept; require prompt care and written incident notes.

Check three references for reliability and experience with sick or upset children; observe a trial day, since first aid and CPR are useful, not mandatory.

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What does an au pair do day to day? A checklist you can use
What does a typical day look like for an au pair?
Childcare tasks in detail: feeding, sleep, activities and safety
Which household tasks are included, and which should you avoid asking for?
What are the working hours, days off and legal basics in South Africa?
How do you write a clear job description or agreement?
Do au pairs need training or certifications?
What communication and language expectations should you set?
What is the au pair’s role in cultural exchange?
How should an au pair handle and report child illness or injury?
A writer’s perspective: why a clear handover makes the whole thing work
How we help South African families find au pairs
FAQ
Sources

What does an au pair do day to day? A checklist you can use

Here’s a quick list to match against your own household. Tick what you need and strike what you don’t.

Childcare basics: feeding, nappy changes for little ones, supervising older kids, settling naps, play and developmental activities.
Child-related practical tasks: simple meals and snacks, helping children dress, wiping up after meals and play, and washing the children’s clothes.
Transport: school runs, after-school activities and supervised outings. If driving is part of the deal, talk through the licence, the car and your insurance first.
Education support: homework help, reading together and simple learning games.
Babysitting and last-minute cover: many au pairs take evening or weekend shifts. Say clearly whether these are inside the agreed hours or extra, and how they’re paid.

A common education-provider overview lists childcare, light housekeeping and transport among typical au pair duties, which matches what we see families asking for.

What does a typical day look like for an au pair?

No two homes run alike, but most days follow a pattern. Here are a few common patterns.

Infant-focused day: morning feed and nappy change, a nap while the au pair preps the baby’s bottles and washes baby clothes, then outdoor play, another feed, and a quiet afternoon routine until a parent gets home.
School-run day: wake the kids, make breakfast and packed lunches, do the school drop-off, then a free stretch before pick-up. After school comes a snack, homework help and some play before supper.
Evening babysit: a short shift, say bath, supper, story and bedtime, with a clear finish time and a note of whom to call if something goes wrong.

Duties shift with age. A newborn means feeding, sleep and lots of holding. School-age children mean supervision, lifts and homework. Live-in au pairs often have flexible days, so write down the working hours so the home doesn’t become an always-on workplace. Live-out au pairs usually keep tighter start and finish times.

Childcare tasks in detail: feeding, sleep, activities and safety

This is the heart of the job, so it’s worth spelling out. The more detail you give on day one, the smoother things go.

Feeding. Your au pair prepares simple meals and snacks and follows your instructions on portion sizes, dietary preferences and allergies. If a child has an allergy, show them where the medication is kept and what to do. Don’t assume they’ll guess.

Sleep and naps. Share your settling routine and safe sleep rules for babies and toddlers, such as where the baby sleeps and how they’re checked. Au pairs follow your lead here. They aren’t there to set their own rules.

Developmental activities. Age-appropriate play, reading, drawing, music and outdoor time all count. For preschoolers, a bit of structure helps: a story, then a craft, then a snack.

Supervision and safety. You guide childproofing basics, like pool gates, stairs, kitchen rules and medicine storage. Leave emergency contacts somewhere visible, including a parent, a neighbour and the family doctor. Make it clear when to call you straight away and when to call an ambulance.

Which household tasks are included, and which should you avoid asking for?

The simplest rule: if it’s about the children, it’s usually fair. If it’s about the whole house, it probably isn’t.

Commonly included:

Tidying the children’s toys and keeping play areas clean
Washing the children’s dishes and wiping their eating area
Kids’ laundry, including folding and putting away
Preparing the children’s meals

Generally not expected:

Deep cleaning, like ovens, windows or bathrooms for the whole house
The whole family’s laundry and ironing
Garden work and DIY jobs
Unrelated errands, unless you agree them first and pay for the extra time

Put the limits in your job description in plain words. For example: “Light housekeeping is limited to the children’s rooms, play areas, meals and laundry.” That one sentence heads off most misunderstandings.

What are the working hours, days off and legal basics in South Africa?

Think of this as a pointer, not legal advice. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act sets out ordinary hours, overtime and rest periods. It’s the framework to check your arrangement against, and it also covers working time and written particulars of employment.

An employers’ guide on employing a domestic worker explains that written particulars should cover ordinary hours, the wage and how it’s paid, and leave entitlements. We’d go a step further and put it all in writing before the first day.

A few habits that save arguments later:

Agree hours in writing and keep a simple record of time worked.
Spell out any standby or night-work expectations.
Be clear on how babysitting shifts count towards hours and pay.
Check pay against AuPairly’s salary calculator rather than guessing.

How do you write a clear job description or agreement?

A clear agreement does more than you’d expect. It turns “I thought you meant…” into “we agreed this.”

Include:

Daily hours and which days are off
Duties tied to the children
The notice period for both sides
Emergency procedures and who to call
Allowances in kind, like accommodation and food, if your au pair lives in
Any extra paid tasks, listed separately from the core role

Keep the scope childcare-first with child-related chores only. If you later want more, agree it and pay for it.

Plan a handover where you show routines, rules and favourite foods. Then book a short check-in at the end of a trial period to confirm it’s a good fit for both of you.

Pro Tip: Write down the three things that matter most to you, like bedtime, screen time and allergy rules, and go through them together on day one.

Do au pairs need training or certifications?

There’s no single qualification that makes someone a good au pair. Plenty of excellent ones have no formal certificate at all, just real experience with children and a calm, caring manner. Still, training is a genuine plus, and it’s worth asking about.

Things to look for:

First aid and CPR: especially useful with babies and toddlers. If your au pair doesn’t have it, consider covering the cost of a course.
Childcare or early childhood courses: these help with routines, safe sleep and age-appropriate play.
Practical experience: younger siblings, babysitting, nannying or crèche work all count, and your reference calls will tell you how well it went.
Specific skills: swimming confidence, driving with a clean licence or experience with special needs, if your family needs it.

If you’d like to build skills after hiring, browse our list of au pair and nanny courses in South Africa. Offering to pay for or share the cost of a short course is a nice way to show you value the role, and it often pays off in confidence and care.

Whatever the certificate says, judge by how the person handles your children on a trial day. Watch how they talk to them, how they react to a spill or a tantrum, and whether the kids relax around them. That tells you more than any piece of paper.

What communication and language expectations should you set?

Good communication is half the job. Decide early how you’ll stay in touch, and make it easy for your au pair to speak up.

Daily handover. A few minutes at the end of each day works wonders: how the children ate, slept, behaved and felt. A shared note on the fridge or a family chat group can do the same job.

Language. Many au pairs speak English, and some also speak Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa or another home language. Think about what language you want spoken with the children. If you’d like the kids to pick up a second language, tell your au pair so they can use it in play and at mealtimes. If you need clear instructions in an emergency, make sure everyone understands the same words for “hurt”, “fever” and “allergic”.

Feedback. Give small, kind feedback early rather than saving it up. Ask how things feel from their side, too. A regular chat keeps minor niggles from turning into big ones.

Boundaries. Agree when it’s fine to message about work, and when it’s not. Late-night texts about tomorrow’s lunch box can wait until the morning unless it’s urgent.

Rules for devices. Be clear about phones during working hours, screen time for the kids and photos of the children on social media. Short, clear house rules stop awkward conversations later.

What is the au pair’s role in cultural exchange?

Au pair arrangements often carry a cultural side. One education-provider overview lists language and cultural exchange alongside childcare as part of the role. In South Africa, that can look different from the classic overseas model, because many au pairs are local. Even so, there’s plenty of exchange going on in a home.

Your au pair might share a family recipe, teach the children a song in another language or explain how holidays are celebrated back home. You, in turn, share your own traditions: Sunday lunch, braais, the way you celebrate birthdays and festivals. Children love this, and it builds respect on both sides.

A few ways to make it work:

Invite your au pair to join a family meal or celebration now and then, without making it compulsory.
Be curious about their background, and let them be curious about yours.
Respect their religious practices, food preferences and time off for important days.
Don’t treat cultural exchange as unpaid extra work. It’s a bonus of a good relationship, not a duty to perform.

When it goes well, the children grow up a little more open-minded, and your au pair feels like a valued member of the household rather than hired help.

How should an au pair handle and report child illness or injury?

Agree this before it happens, because nobody thinks clearly when a child is hurt. Write a short plan and keep it where everyone can find it.

Your plan should cover:

Who to call first, with a second contact if the first doesn’t answer
Your family doctor, the nearest clinic or hospital and the emergency number
Where the medical aid card, ID details and medication are kept
What your au pair can do alone (a plaster, a cold cloth, a dose of medicine you’ve approved) and what needs a call to you first

Illness. If a child seems unwell, your au pair should note the symptoms, check the temperature if you’ve shown them how, and seek immediate medical care. Be clear about which medicines they may give and in what doses, and write it down.

Injury. For any injury, the au pair should seek immediate emergency care, then contact you.

Reporting. Ask for a short written note afterwards: what happened, when, what was done and how the child is now. That record helps if you need to see a doctor later, and it keeps everyone calm and informed. Basic first aid training makes a real difference here, so it’s worth asking about when you interview.

A writer’s perspective: why a clear handover makes the whole thing work

Most of the friction I’ve seen between families and au pairs comes from assumptions, not bad intentions. A parent thinks “light housework” includes the whole kitchen, and the au pair thinks it means the children’s things only. A proper handover fixes that. Spend time walking through routines together, and book a check-in after the trial period. Build routine first, and trust follows. Keep your boundaries kind but clear, and both sides relax.

— Nicole

How we help South African families find au pairs

We connect South African families with local au pairs, with no agency fees. Admin reviews every profile before it goes live, and you can message candidates directly and securely once you have access. Current prices are on our pricing page, where families can choose an access plan, then browse, chat and decide at their own pace.

Do your own final checks, and use our optional add-on checks where they help. Ready to start? Browse reviewed au pair profiles and message the ones who feel right.

FAQ

What duties does an au pair have?

An au pair’s main duties are childcare: feeding, supervising, play, school runs and homework help. They usually add light, child-related chores like kids’ meals and laundry. Exact duties are agreed with each family.

What are au pairs not allowed to do?

Au pairs shouldn’t be asked to do deep cleaning, the whole family’s laundry, garden work or DIY as part of the childcare role. Unrelated errands or extra tasks should be agreed and paid for separately. Put the limits in writing.

Do au pairs cook and clean?

They usually cook simple meals and snacks for the children and tidy up after them. Cleaning stays limited to the children’s areas, dishes and laundry. A full house clean isn’t a standard au pair duty.

How much do au pairs get paid in SA?

Pay is agreed between you and your au pair and depends on hours and duties. Use our salary calculator to check what’s fair, and keep the amount in your written agreement.

Sources

Au pairs provide 3 references. Always follow them up, and ask specific questions: Was she reliable and on time? How did she handle a sick or upset child? What ages did she look after? A phone call tells you more than a written note, so do both where you can. Our guide to au pair references has templates and questions you can copy.

On our platform, admin reviews every au pair profile before it goes live, and we check profiles for completeness, quality and authenticity. That’s a quality gate, not a security check, so families still do their own final checks. If you want extra checks, we offer optional add-ons such as an ID check, a reference check and a qualification check. Our family safety guide walks you through the conversation.