Nanny CV example and template (South Africa)

Updated November 2026 · Written for South African employers

Nannies and au pairs in South Africa are employed by families, either directly or through a nanny agency, to look after babies and children while the parents work. Under labour law a person a household pays to look after its children is a domestic worker, so the same rules on wages, UIF and contracts apply. Parents reading your CV want to know the ages of the children you have cared for, how long you stayed with each family, whether you have done a child first aid and CPR course, and whether you can drive their children safely. They will phone your previous families before they let you near their own.

The example below is for a nanny with about ten years of childcare, live-in and live-out, including a child with a severe food allergy and daily school runs. If you are new, write down any childcare you have already done, such as babysitting for neighbours, raising younger brothers and sisters, or helping at a crèche or Sunday school, and ask those parents for a reference. A one-day child first aid course, such as St John's First Aid Essentials for Children, is the quickest way to make parents trust a first-time nanny.

Opens this CV in our free builder so you can put in your own details. No account needed.

Nanny CV example

Nomvula Hlongwane

Nanny with 10 years of baby and childcare, child first aid and a code B licence

082 555 0174 · nomvula.hlongwane@example.co.za · Durban North, KwaZulu-Natal

Profile

Caring and reliable nanny with ten years of childcare in Durban North, Westville and Umhlanga, including four years as a live-in nanny for twins from birth. Experienced with newborns, bottle feeds and sterilising, sleep and potty-training routines, homework help for Foundation Phase children and daily school runs in the parents' car with a code B licence. Holds First Aid Essentials for Children (child and infant CPR) and First Aid Level 1, and follows allergy plans and medication instructions exactly as parents give them. Looking for a live-out nanny post in Durban North, Umhlanga or Westville.

Work experience

Nanny (live-out, Monday to Friday)

Private household, Durban North, Durban | Feb 2022 – Present

Care for a girl from four months old (now four) and her brother from three (now seven), 07:00 to 17:00
Made up formula feeds and sterilised bottles for the baby, then prepared purees and finger foods when she started solids
Follow a written allergy action plan for a severe peanut allergy and carry two adrenaline auto-injectors on every outing
Drive both children to school, aftercare and swimming in the family's car, about 120 km a week
Help the older child with Grade 1 reading and homework every afternoon
Keep a daily log of feeds, naps, meals and any medicine given, as the parents asked

Live-in Nanny

Private household, Westville, Durban | Mar 2018 – Jan 2022

Cared for twins from two weeks old until they started preschool at almost four years old
Did night feeds three nights a week and set up nap and bedtime routines with the parents
Toilet-trained both twins and taught them to dress themselves and wash their hands
Planned daily reading, puzzles, music and outdoor play for the twins' ages
Left when the family moved to Cape Town

Part-time Nanny (afternoons)

Private household, Umhlanga, Umhlanga | Mar 2016 – Feb 2018

Collected two primary school children from school at 13:00 and cared for them until 18:00
Supervised homework, reading practice and lunch, and kept the children safe around the pool

Education

National Senior Certificate (Matric)

Ohlange High School, Inanda, 2015, NQF level 4

Subjects: isiZulu Home Language, English First Additional Language, Life Sciences, Consumer Studies, Mathematical Literacy, Life Orientation

Skills

Newborn and baby care
Bottle feeds and sterilising
Sleep and potty-training routines
Allergy plans and medication records
Child and infant CPR
School runs with a code B licence
Homework help for Grade R to Grade 3
Play and early learning activities

Certificates

First Aid Essentials for Children (child and infant CPR, choking and allergic reactions), St John South Africa, 2025
First Aid Level 1, St John South Africa, 2023

Achievements

Four years with no allergic reactions while caring for a child with a severe peanut allergy
Trusted to care for the twins alone for a week while their parents travelled for work
Written reference letters from both full-time families

Personal details

Driver’s licence:: Code B (Code 8)
Nationality:: South African
Languages:: isiZulu (Home language), English (Fluent), Afrikaans (Basic)
Notice period:: Four weeks
Availability:: Live-out, Monday to Friday, with evening babysitting by arrangement

References

Mrs Lauren Ferreira

Mother of the two children I care for, employer since 2022, Private household, Durban North

082 555 0128 · lauren.ferreira@example.co.za

Mr Kevin Moonsamy

Father of the twins, employer 2018 to 2022 (now in Cape Town), Private household, Westville

083 555 0186

Nanny CV summary you can copy

Change the details so they are true for you.

Caring and reliable nanny with ten years of childcare in Durban North, Westville and Umhlanga, including four years as a live-in nanny for twins from birth. Experienced with newborns, bottle feeds and sterilising, sleep and potty-training routines, homework help for Foundation Phase children and daily school runs in the parents' car with a code B licence. Holds First Aid Essentials for Children (child and infant CPR) and First Aid Level 1, and follows allergy plans and medication instructions exactly as parents give them. Looking for a live-out nanny post in Durban North, Umhlanga or Westville.

Skills to list on your Nanny CV

Caring for newborns and babies, including bottle feeds, burping, nappy changes, bathing and safe sleep
Washing and sterilising bottles, teats, dummies and breast pump parts by boiling, steaming or with sterilising solution
Following feeding, nap and bedtime routines agreed with the parents
Safe food preparation for babies and toddlers, such as purees and cutting food small to prevent choking
Following a child's written allergy action plan, including using an adrenaline auto-injector (EpiPen) in an emergency
Giving medication only as the parents instruct in writing, and recording each dose with the time
Child and infant CPR, choking relief and first aid for burns, falls and high fevers
School, aftercare and activity runs in the parents' car with the right car seats (code B licence)
Homework help and reading with Foundation Phase children (Grade R to Grade 3)
Play-based early learning, such as reading aloud, puzzles, counting games, painting and outdoor play
Potty training and teaching self-care, such as dressing, brushing teeth and washing hands
Keeping children safe around pools, gates, stoves, medicines and cleaning products
Keeping a daily log of feeds, naps, nappies, meals and any incidents for the parents

Duties written as strong bullet points

Cared for a baby from four months old and her three-year-old brother five days a week, from 07:00 until the parents came home at 17:00
Made up about six formula feeds a day to the exact measures on the tin and washed and sterilised every bottle and teat after use
Kept a written daily log of feeds, naps, nappies, meals and moods and went through it with a parent at the end of every day
Drove two children to school, aftercare and swimming lessons in the family's car, about 120 km a week, with each child in the right car seat and no accidents or traffic fines in four years
Followed a written allergy action plan for a child with a severe peanut allergy, carried two adrenaline auto-injectors on every outing and checked the label of every food before serving it
Gave prescribed medicine, such as antibiotics and asthma pump doses with a spacer, only on the parents' written instructions and recorded the time of each dose
Helped a Grade 1 learner with reading and homework for 45 minutes every afternoon, and her class teacher reported that she reached the expected reading level by the end of the year
Planned daily play and learning activities for each child's age, such as reading aloud, puzzles, sorting and counting games, painting and outdoor play
Toilet-trained three toddlers, each within about three months, using the routine agreed with the parents
Looked after newborn twins as a live-in nanny for four years, including night feeds three nights a week until they slept through

Tips for a stronger Nanny CV

Make every family easy to phone

Parents almost always phone your previous families. For each reference, give the parent's name, the suburb, the years you worked for them, the children's ages and a phone number that works. Ask each family for a short reference letter when you leave, and say on your CV that you have it, because a letter from a family you stayed with for four years can win the job on its own.

Write the children's ages, not their names

"Cared for a baby from 4 months and her brother aged 3" tells parents exactly what you can do. Leave out the children's surnames and the family's street address to protect their privacy; "Private household, Durban North" is enough. Parents of a newborn look for newborn experience, and parents of school children look for homework help and driving.

Say live-in or live-out for every job

Put "(live-in)" or "(live-out)" after each job title and give your normal hours, such as "Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 17:00", and any nights or weekends you worked. Live-in means you lived in a room on the family's property; live-out means you travelled in every day. Then say in your availability which one you want now, because many families only consider one.

Put first aid and driving near the top

Name your child first aid course, the provider and the year, and say that it covered child and infant CPR and choking. If you drive, say "code B licence" with the years you have driven, that you are happy to drive the family's car, and that you always use car seats. These two lines decide many shortlists.

Show that you follow instructions on allergies and medicine

Parents worry most about allergies and medicine. Write that you follow the parents' written allergy plan and medication instructions and keep a record of every dose. Never write that you decide on medicine yourself; a nanny gives medicine only as the parents or the doctor have told them to.

Questions people ask

What does the law say a family must give a nanny in South Africa?

A nanny employed by a family is a domestic worker, so the national minimum wage applies. From 1 March 2026 it is R30.23 for each ordinary hour worked, the same rate as for other workers. Under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and Sectoral Determination 7 for domestic workers, the family must also give you your terms in writing when you start, such as your hours, wage, leave and notice period. Ask for this written contract before you start, and keep a copy.

Must the family register me for UIF?

Yes, if you work for them for more than 24 hours a month. The family registers with the Unemployment Insurance Fund, pays 1% of your wage each month and deducts another 1% from your pay. UIF pays benefits if you lose your job, for example when a family emigrates or no longer needs a nanny, and during maternity leave. A UIF declaration from a previous family also proves your work history.

Am I covered if I get hurt while looking after the children?

Yes. Since the Constitutional Court's Mahlangu judgment of 19 November 2020, domestic workers, including nannies, are covered by COIDA, the law that pays compensation for injuries and diseases caught at work. In March 2021 the Compensation Fund told all employers of domestic workers to register with it. You do not need this on your CV, but ask a new family whether they have registered.

What is the difference between a nanny and an au pair?

In South Africa an au pair is usually a younger person, often a student, who drives children to school and activities, helps with homework and looks after them in the afternoons. A nanny usually works full days, often with babies and toddlers as well. Use the title the job advert uses, and describe exactly what you did under each job so that parents can see which one you are.

Which first aid course should a nanny do?

Choose a course made for people who care for children, such as St John South Africa's First Aid Essentials for Children, or a paediatric (child and baby) CPR and first aid course from another provider. These cover CPR for babies and children, choking, burns, head injuries and allergic reactions. Many providers recommend a refresher every two years, so write the year you completed it.

Can I work as a nanny without a driver's licence?

Yes, especially with babies and toddlers who stay at home all day. But many families with school-going children ask for a code B licence so that you can do the school and activity runs in their car. If you are learning to drive, write "learner's licence, booked for the code B test" so parents know it is coming.