1. Quiz
  2. Your result
  3. Your plan
  4. Your guide

Step-by-step guide

Home care and companionship: from your first family to a steady list of shifts

Help older or unwell people at home with company, meals, bathing, walks and errands, through agencies or private families. This guide covers published 2026 agency and private rates, the minimum wage, what only nurses may do, scripts, a shift record and a 14-day plan.

  • 25 lessons
  • 5 modules
  • About 2 hours
  • First lesson free

Is this guide for you?

Good fit if

  • You are patient, kind and calm, and you like looking after people.
  • You are reliable about times and can be trusted in someone's home.
  • You can do physical work such as helping someone stand or bath.

Think twice if

  • You are uncomfortable with personal care such as bathing and toileting.
  • You cannot commit to regular shifts that families depend on.

Honest expectations

  • Agencies can place you within a few weeks once checks are done. Private families usually come through referrals.
  • Families pay agencies about R420 to R695 for an 8-hour day in 2026. Carers earn less than that, and private carers typically earn about R6,000 to R10,000 a month.
  • Nursing tasks are reserved for registered nurses. Your work is personal care and company.

What is inside

  1. Module 1

    Is this right for you?

    What it involves, who pays, and honest expectations.

    1. How home care and companionship workFree · 5 min
    2. Honest expectations4 min (in the full guide)
  2. Module 2

    Set up and price

    What you need and what to charge.

    1. Your startup kit, costs and skills5 min (in the full guide)
    2. Set up step by step: ready for your first shift5 min (in the full guide)
    3. Pricing and getting paid: real 2026 rates5 min (in the full guide)
    4. Your numbers: a worked example in rands5 min (in the full guide)
  3. Module 3

    Your first week

    The first steps, in order.

    1. Your first week, step by step6 min (in the full guide)
    2. Week one, step 2: Book a basic first aid course3 min (in the full guide)
    3. Week one, step 3: Call one agency3 min (in the full guide)
    4. Finding your first families: where to look5 min (in the full guide)
    5. Your 14-day first-shift playbook6 min (in the full guide)
    6. Messages to copy: your first customers5 min (in the full guide)
  4. Module 4

    Your first month

    A routine that brings in customers.

    1. Your first 30 days: build a routine4 min (in the full guide)
    2. Month one, task 1: Agree pay and times in writing with every family3 min (in the full guide)
    3. Month one, task 2: Keep a shift record3 min (in the full guide)
    4. Month one, task 3: Ask satisfied families to recommend you3 min (in the full guide)
    5. Common mistakes new carers make4 min (in the full guide)
  5. Module 5

    Months two and three

    Repeat what works, grow and stay safe.

    1. Days 31 to 90: repeat what works and grow4 min (in the full guide)
    2. Months two and three, task 1: Consider a recognised care course for better-paid work3 min (in the full guide)
    3. Months two and three, task 2: Decide how many shifts you can do without burning out3 min (in the full guide)
    4. Months two and three, task 3: Build a small list of regular families3 min (in the full guide)
    5. Free courses to fill your skill gaps4 min (in the full guide)
    6. Getting paid safely and spotting scams4 min (in the full guide)
    7. Tax: what to put aside, with worked examples6 min (in the full guide)
    8. Risks, rules, tax and staying safe5 min (in the full guide)

What it costs to start

R0 to get started, from our research

What you will use:

  • Phone with WhatsApp
  • Basic first aid course

Prices change and differ by area, so check two places near you before you buy.

Try it before you buy

Lesson one is free. If it helps, the whole guide is R149 once-off.

Start the free lesson

Reviewed 26 October 2026 by the Earn Path team. Next review due 26 April 2027.