Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a seven-person panel to advise on an appropriate level at which the national minimum wage could be set. 

In his State of the Nation Address on 17 June 2014, President Jacob Zuma called on Nedlac social partners under the leadership of Deputy President Ramaphosa to address low wages, wage inequalities and national minimum wage, violent and protracted strikes.

Deputy President Ramaphosa has now in consultation with Nedlac social partners appointed a panel of advisors to assist Nedlac in setting the level of the national minimum wage, taking into account work done thus far by Nedlac technical task-teams.

The appointment of the advisors takes place against the background of consensus among Nedlac social partners to introduce a national minimum wage as part of efforts to restore the dignity of the majority of South Africans; address the triple challenges of poverty, under-development and inequality, and reduce pay differentials while maximising job creation.

Deputy President Ramaphosa has extended his gratitude to the panel members for availing themselves to perform this important national task and wished them well in this endeavour.

The panel members are:

1. Prof Imraan Valodia, part-time member of the Competition Tribunal and a Commissioner on the Employment Conditions Commission
2. Mamokete Lijane, Aluwani Capital Partnersmacro strategist responsible for macro-economic and fixed income strategy and asset allocation
3. Dr Debbie Collier, associate professor in the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Cape Town
4. Prof Murray Leibbrandt, Pro Vice-Chancellor: Poverty and Inequality, University of Cape Town
5. Ayabonga Cawe, Economic Justice Manager, OXFAM South Africa
6. Dr Siphokazi Koyana, Skills Development and Training Expert with local and international experience
7. Dr Patrick Belser, senior economist at the International Labour Organisation