Windhoek - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
We hired a housekeeper/cleaner and a gardener for very reasonable rates. Nannies are also popular. I think cooks and chauffeurs are less common here and I don't know anyone who has one. Some housekeepers can cook but it's not common. The LE HR Specialist can walk you through registering as an employer so you can pay in to Namibia Social Security fund for your staff. This is inexpensive and it is the law. - Jul 2024
Single working parent so we had a full time nanny plus a part time housekeeper/cook, plus a once a week pool and garden helper. - Jan 2021
Domestic help is very affordable, approximately US$12-US$15 a day. - Jan 2016
Reliable and good domestic help is relative. Part-time help is very reasonable. - Jun 2015
There's a relatively finite pool of domestic help that all of the expats seem to pull from. You can get a nanny or a housekeeper, but finding someone who does both really well doesn't seem to exist. We have a housekeeper who comes twice a week, and we her pay roughly $200US a month, plus two meals while she's here. Also a gardener who gets $20 Namibian an hour (about $2US), and a pool guy who gets $10US a visit. - May 2013
Available, but don't expect too much. Motivation is often lacking. Cost is not cheap, I feel like I'm paying too much for what we receive. - Jan 2013
Inexpensive and varies. We pay our gardener about $20-25 a day for his services, and we provide him with two meals while he is here. Our domestic worker is paid around $175 a month for two days a week, with taxi fees. We also provide her with two meals a day on the days she works. Many families with small children have live-in help, and most houses have maids quarters built into them. (Ours is quite small, but many are spacious). - Jul 2012
