Last updated: 17 September 2026
Find the Right Au Pair for Your Cape Town Family
Finding someone to care for your children and support your family’s daily routine is an important and personal decision. Experience matters, but the right match also depends on personality, values, availability, transport and the candidate’s ability to connect with your children.
Au Pair Extraordinaire has been helping South African families find carefully selected au pairs since 2007. We place after-school, full-day, educational and specialised childcare candidates with families across Cape Town.
Our role is to understand what your family genuinely needs and introduce candidates whose experience, practical circumstances and personalities make them realistic matches for your position.
Areas We Serve Across Cape Town
We assist families throughout Cape Town and its surrounding residential areas, including:
- The Southern Suburbs, including Constantia, Bishopscourt, Newlands, Rondebosch, Claremont and Kenilworth
- The City Bowl, including Gardens, Oranjezicht, Tamboerskloof, Vredehoek and surrounding areas
- The Atlantic Seaboard, including Camps Bay, Clifton, Bantry Bay, Fresnaye, Sea Point and Green Point
- Blouberg and surrounding areas, including Bloubergstrand, Table View, Big Bay and Parklands
- Other parts of the greater Cape Town metropolitan area where the position and travel requirements are practical
The family’s precise location matters when matching candidates. Cape Town’s travel distances, traffic patterns and school routes can make a position unsuitable even when a candidate appears excellent on paper.
What Cape Town Families Commonly Need
Every family is different. Some parents require dependable after-school support, while others need full-day assistance or a candidate with particular childcare or educational experience.
An au pair may assist with:
- School collections and transport to activities
- Homework supervision and preparation for tests
- Preparing appropriate meals or snacks for the children
- Managing school bags, uniforms and children’s belongings
- Planning age-appropriate activities
- Maintaining the children’s daily routines
- Communicating with teachers or activity providers when authorised
- Caring for babies or younger children where the candidate has appropriate experience
- Tutoring, homeschool support or educational assistance
- Supporting children with specialised needs where the candidate has relevant experience
The responsibilities, hours and expectations should be clearly defined before the matching process begins. A well-structured position helps attract appropriate candidates and creates a stronger foundation for a successful placement.
Travel and Transport Matter in Cape Town
Cape Town positions frequently involve travelling between the family’s home, schools and extra-mural activities. The journey may cross different parts of the city, and traffic can vary considerably according to the time of day.
All candidates applying through Au Pair Extraordinaire must have a valid driver’s licence and their own reliable car.
When considering candidates for a Cape Town family, we assess:
- The distance between the candidate and the family
- The required starting and finishing times
- Whether the daily commute is sustainable
- The amount of driving required while on duty
- The family’s regular school and activity routes
- Whether the candidate’s availability matches the full schedule
- The applicable transport and mileage arrangements
A position needs to work reliably every day, not only during an interview. Considering these practical details early helps reduce avoidable difficulties after placement.
How Our Cape Town Placement Process Works
1. Tell Us What Your Family Needs
Complete our family application with information about your children, location, required hours, duties, transport needs and the qualities you are seeking.
2. Speak to an Experienced Recruiter
A recruiter will contact you to discuss the position in more detail. This conversation helps us understand your family’s routine, expectations and priorities.
3. Receive a Focused Selection of Candidates
We consider experience, availability, location, salary expectations, transport and personality before introducing candidates. We do not simply send every available CV.
4. Interview Your Preferred Candidates
You can meet the candidates you would like to consider and assess how well they communicate with you and interact with your family.
5. Select Your Au Pair
Once you have chosen your preferred candidate, we assist with the final placement process and relevant employment documentation.
How We Screen Our Candidates
We are highly selective about the candidates we represent. Only about 5% of applicants are accepted following our screening process.
Every represented candidate undergoes:
- Careful application and CV screening
- A structured personal interview
- Detailed childcare and employment reference checks
- Our custom-built Child Care Competency Test
- Assessment of experience, judgement, reliability and suitability
- A criminal background check during the final placement phase
Families may also request optional additional checks, including premium social media screening, a TransUnion credit check, driver’s licence verification and identity verification.
Screening provides important information, but successful matching also requires an understanding of temperament, communication style, energy, values and family dynamics.
What We Consider Before Introducing a Candidate
A suitable candidate must be able to meet the practical and personal requirements of the position.
Before introducing someone to a Cape Town family, we consider:
- Whether the candidate’s experience suits the children’s ages and needs
- Whether the required hours fit the candidate’s availability
- Whether the travel distance and daily routes are realistic
- Whether the candidate can manage the expected childcare, homework and driving responsibilities
- Whether salary expectations align with the position
- The quality and relevance of the candidate’s references
- Communication style, maturity and professional conduct
- The family’s priorities, values and preferred approach to childcare
This focused approach helps families spend their time interviewing candidates who have a realistic possibility of becoming the right match.
What Should You Pay an Au Pair in Cape Town?
Au pair salaries vary according to the working hours, duties, driving requirements, number and ages of the children, qualifications and level of experience required.
A position involving infant care, extensive driving, tutoring, longer hours or specialised support may require a different salary from a standard after-school role.
Our current au pair salary guide explains the factors families should consider. Your recruiter can also help you establish a realistic range for your particular position.
What Does the Agency Charge?
Families hiring an au pair for a permanent position can choose between two placement options:
Standard placement option: 11% of the candidate’s gross annual income plus VAT, including a three-month replacement guarantee.
Premium placement option: 12% of the candidate’s gross annual income plus VAT, including a six-month replacement guarantee.
Your recruiter will explain both options and help you select the level of support that best suits your family. Temporary and fixed-term placements are handled according to the applicable terms and schedule of fees.
Our Replacement Guarantee
We put considerable care into every placement, but family circumstances and working relationships can sometimes change.
If, for some reason, the match isn’t quite on point, we will prioritise helping you find a new match at no additional placement fee, provided the applicable guarantee conditions have been met.
Our standard permanent placement option includes a three-month replacement guarantee. Our premium permanent placement option includes an extended six-month replacement guarantee. Full details are available in our current terms and conditions.
Why Use an Agency Instead of Hiring Privately?
Hiring privately places the responsibility for advertising, assessing applications, interviewing, checking references, screening and preparing employment documentation on the family.
Working with an established agency provides a structured process, carefully selected candidates and support if difficulties arise after placement.
Our role is not simply to forward CVs. We help define the position, assess practical compatibility, screen applicants and guide families through the placement process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which parts of Cape Town do you service?
We assist families throughout the Southern Suburbs, City Bowl, Atlantic Seaboard, Blouberg and other suitable areas within greater Cape Town.
Can I hire an after-school au pair?
Yes. We place after-school, morning, full-day and other suitably structured positions. The hours, responsibilities and salary should be realistic enough to attract an appropriate candidate.
Do your candidates have driver’s licences and their own cars?
Yes. All candidates applying through Au Pair Extraordinaire must have a valid driver’s licence and their own reliable car.
Can an au pair assist with homework or tutoring?
Yes, provided the candidate has the appropriate academic ability and experience. Families requiring subject-specific tutoring or specialised educational support should explain this clearly when applying.
Is a criminal background check included?
Yes. A criminal background check is completed during the final placement phase. Families may also request optional additional checks.
Does the placement include a guarantee?
Yes. The standard permanent placement option includes a three-month replacement guarantee, while the premium option includes a six-month replacement guarantee. All guarantees remain subject to the applicable terms and conditions.
How long does it take to find an au pair?
The timing depends on the location, hours, duties, salary and current candidate availability. Clear and realistic requirements give us the best opportunity to identify an appropriate match efficiently.
Find Your Au Pair in Cape Town
If your family is looking for a carefully selected au pair in Cape Town, complete our family application or contact our team.
Tell us about your children, routine and requirements, and we will help you begin the matching process.
