The Nanny Diaries is a podcast series about nannies, their employers and the issues they face in our South African context. The Great Equalizer podcast in collaboration with writer, journalist and mother, Samantha Steele, touches base with experts in the field, moms navigating this unique space and, of course, the real MVPs, the nannies themselves.
Featuring Samantha Herbst, Charlene Armstrong and Samantha Steele
Hiring a nanny (and being hired as a nanny) can be very daunting. On this first episode of The Nanny Diaries so we’ll be exploring what employers and nannies should know about the hiring process, including finding a right fit, setting up a contract and hiring with your head or your heart.
This episode of The Nanny Diaries will outline why it’s important for you to register your nanny for UIF, and how to go about doing so. We also discuss other ways to safeguard your nanny if you feel you need an alternative option. Among the experts that we chat to are Amy Tekie (founder of Izwi Domestic Workers Alliance) and Kelebogile Kunou, a researcher at the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa). As always, we also chat to real moms and nannies currently navigating this tricky landscape.
In this episode of The Nanny Diaries we continue in our quest to wrap our heads around the Unemployment Insurance Fund. So, now that we know that registering for UIF is important and *why* it’s so important, we start unpacking exactly *how* you go about it.Sam Steele speaks to UIF consultant Estelle Carstens and takes us through registering your nanny step for step. We also touch base with some real moms who’ve attempted to register their employees on UIF, and we learn from their experiences.
Can you imagine living with your boss? This is the reality for many live-in nannies in South Africa and, unfortunately, it comes with a dark origin story, which we unpack in this episode of The Nanny Diaries. We also unpack how this unique working relationship (which is particular to South Africa) has many advantages for both parents and nannies, like increased flexibility and signicantly reduced living expenses (both beneficial for low-income earners like nannies).
It’ll take more than a podcast episode to do right by this extensive topic, but we do try give the live-in nanny dynamic some important context. We believe South Africans can still work towards creating a fair working environment coming off the back of one that is often exploitative.
On the sixth and final episode of The Nanny Diaries limited series, we’re chatting about a healthy attachment between your child and their nanny. For many children, particularly those with working, divorced, bereaved, or even mentally ill parents, their nanny is constantly, consistently there — feeding, dressing and most importantly, comforting them. Nannies are an emotional lighthouse, a safe and dependable harbour in a tumultuous world. In many households they even become the third (or sometimes the second) parent.
Word-smithery, feminism, and body confidence all wrapped up with cake. Featured at Forbes Women Africa, Daily Maverick, Mail&Guardian, Marie Claire and others.
