The posh Tang restaurant in Sandton found itself at the centre of controversy after a dramatic raid by the Department of Labour, exposing what workers have described as slave-like conditions.
Story Summary:
- Tang restaurant in Sandton was raided, resulting in the arrest of a manager and four undocumented workers.
- Employees revealed poor working conditions, including long hours and low wages.
- The Department of Labour continues its crackdown on illegal labour practices and exploitation in Gauteng’s hospitality industry.
Tang restaurant Sandton under the spotlight after epic raid
On Wednesday, enforcement units arrested five individuals at the upscale establishment — a manager and four undocumented employees — as part of a broader operation aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and labour violations in Gauteng’s hospitality sector.
The raid, part of a larger sweep targeting luxury restaurants, has placed Tang under the spotlight, with labour inspectors uncovering shocking details about how workers are treated.
Employees were instructed to stop working and were asked to write down their salaries and working conditions.
According to officials, cleaners and chefs earn a basic salary of between R5,000 and R7,500, but waiters reportedly only receive tips and commissions, with no fixed salary.
Gauteng chief inspector Michael Msiza confirmed:
“We are going to make calculations and ensure that they [employees] are paid what is due to them. Tang will remain temporarily closed due to non-compliance with several labour laws, including failure to meet occupational health and safety standards.”
Msiza added that the restaurant’s gas installation and other safety measures were found to be non-compliant.
Workers reveal harsh conditions
The raid at Tang and several other establishments in the district revealed what some employees have called “slave-like” conditions, as waitstaff detailed their struggles with long hours and inadequate pay.
According to reports from The Sowetan, waiters at other high-end restaurants in the area, work gruelling shifts of up to 14 hours without a guaranteed income, depending solely on tips to make ends meet.
One waiter from a competing establishment told the publication:
“We start our shift at [07:00] and work until [21:30], sometimes later on weekends, and there are no breaks. It’s difficult because you can’t leave a table unattended. There’s no basic salary, and what we earn from tips is not enough to cover our living expenses.”
Such revelations have drawn attention to broader issues within the restaurant industry in Sandton and other affluent areas, where staff work under similar conditions, often without formal contracts, payslips, or the benefits required by law.
Msiza confirmed that many establishments are failing to comply with the National Minimum Wage Act, stating:
“Restaurants in this area are notorious for paying workers based solely on tips, which is illegal.”
Crackdown on non-compliance and undocumented workers
The raid at Tang is part of an ongoing operation by the Department of Labour and Home Affairs aimed at rooting out undocumented workers and illegal employment practices.
Msiza explained that the restaurant’s human resources manager, who oversees hiring and firing, was arrested for employing undocumented workers.
“We found that several workers did not have proper documentation, which is a clear violation of the law,” he said.
In addition to labour violations, Tang was found to be non-compliant with occupational health and safety regulations.
Leaking ceilings and unsafe gas installations were among the infractions that prompted authorities to temporarily shut down the restaurant.
This high-profile raid comes on the heels of similar operations in Pretoria, where the popular Babel restaurant in Menlyn was also raided following a viral TikTok video that exposed mistreatment of workers.
The Department of Labour has vowed to continue its crackdown on restaurants across Gauteng, targeting those that fail to comply with basic employment standards and engage in exploitative practices.
Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth has committed to further raids, stating:
“We are determined to ensure that every worker in South Africa is treated fairly and paid in accordance with the law. This is just the beginning of our efforts to address exploitation in the restaurant industry.”
As the crackdown continues, more establishments are expected to face investigations, and the Tang restaurant case has sparked renewed debate about the treatment of workers in high-end dining establishments across South Africa.
UPDATE: This article was amended to accurately attribute a quote made by a worker from a competing restaurant, not TANG as previously reported.