How much should we tip? The answer may surprise you

In South Africa, tipping is a contentious issue that often leaves people in two camps. You are either a big tipper or it is conditional on the service, and you would only give a tip if the service is exceptional.

Over the past few months, a number of videos went viral whereby it is shown that patrons would leave a meagre tip despite spending over a R1,000 on food.

On the other hand, there are also instances where patrons go above and beyond when it comes to tips.

Last month, it was reported that a waitress lost her job at a Johannesburg restaurant after keeping a R150 tip that was meant to be distributed among staff.

Is it compulsory to give a tip? Are wait staff entitled to the tips they receive? Surprisingly, the answer is not just yes or no.

It is an undisputed fact that the Covid-19 pandemic has hit all industries and the food industry is no exception.

The rule of thumb used to be 10% to 15% but this is changing. It is also worth noting that tips are not compulsory. So how much should we tip in South African restaurants?

Despite the 10% to 15% being normalised, it is completely the patron’s choice.

There is also no law governing tipping, therefore it's on the institution itself to make their own arrangements.

The same applies to a basic salary or wage for wait staff. The restaurant or institution makes their own ruling on the wage for its staff.

You will also notice that some institutions include the tip in total whereas others do not. This is not unusual or strange. In the case of the latter, patrons have the option to include the tip in their own capacity.

In light of this, it's best to provide a sufficient tip as we don’t know what the policies are and while tips are not compulsory, it is worth giving a bit extra.

IOL