If government were to legislate a minimum wage without a good deal of prior consultation with Business, the response of Organised Business may be naively simplistic. As in most other issues relating to the country’s economic welfare and growth, complexity is at the heart of any debate. It is easy to say “yay” or “nay”, but much more difficult to negotiate the minefields of cause and effect and come to a reasoned and compelling conclusion. This paper, prepared by the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry is not a definitive conclusion by any means; it is just the start of a rational, broadly-encompassing debate. Responsible business requires careful consideration and the striking of a balance between the implications for individual enterprises, those for sectors, those for different sizes of business and those for the national economy and the South African people.  

Download the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Research Paper above