For families
Hire an Infant Care Specialist in South Africa
The right infant care specialist can make a meaningful difference in your baby’s first two years, and in how supported you feel as a parent. Infant care is rarely one-size-fits-all: some families need an infant care au pair who plans each day around stimulation and developmental milestones, while others need a warm, hands-on nanny who keeps feeds, naps, and the daily routine steady at home. For families with a newborn, a night nurse can mean proper rest when it matters most.
No obligation · Takes about 5 minutes
5-stage screening
for every candidate
How we help
Au Pair Extraordinaire connects families across South Africa with screened infant care au pairs, nannies, and night nurses for newborns, babies, and toddlers. Our role is to help you understand what each role offers and to appoint a candidate whose experience suits your baby’s stage, your routine, and your household, whether you’re preparing for a new arrival, returning to work, or need more rest in the early months. Care can be arranged during the day or overnight, depending on your baby’s needs and what works best for your family.
What we offer
Infant Care Specialists in South Africa
We place three types of infant care specialist: infant care au pairs, nannies, and night nurses. Each role does a different job. Choose a role to see what they do, who they suit, and what sets them apart.
Development-led care
Infant Care Au Pairs
An infant care au pair is the most development-focused role we place. An au pair does more than keep your baby safe, fed, and rested. They plan each day around what your baby is learning to do next.
What an infant care au pair does
- Plans age-appropriate stimulation, such as tummy time, sensory play, music, reading, and early language activities
- Tracks developmental milestones and notes what your baby is working towards next
- Builds feeding, nap, and play routines, and adjusts them as your baby grows
- Supports weaning and the introduction of solids in line with your approach
- Gives you regular, structured feedback on feeds, sleep, and progress
- Notices changes early and raises them with you
- Drives your baby to classes, clinic visits, and outings where this forms part of the role
An infant care au pair is usually the right fit if
- You want your baby’s development actively planned and tracked
- You are a first-time parent and want a knowledgeable partner at home
- You want detailed feedback on your baby’s day and progress
- You are returning to work and want the day run the way you would run it yourself
- You need someone who can drive to classes, appointments, and outings
What sets an infant care au pair apart
An infant care au pair works to a plan. Your au pair knows which milestones are coming, chooses activities that support them, and tells you what they are seeing along the way.
Infant care au pairs typically have further education or training in childcare or early childhood development, a valid driver’s licence, and their own car. They are confident communicators who work alongside parents as a partner in the baby’s development.
An au pair’s time is given to your baby. Au pairs take care of baby-related tasks, such as bottles and the nursery, but do not take on general domestic work.
Hands-on daily care
Infant Care Nannies
A nanny is a hands-on child minder who looks after your baby’s practical needs through the day. The role centres on care, comfort, safety, and a steady routine at home.
What an infant care nanny does
- Feeds your baby, and prepares and sterilises bottles
- Changes nappies, baths, and dresses your baby
- Follows the nap and sleep routine you have set
- Comforts, holds, and supervises your baby safely at home
- Plays with your baby as part of the daily rhythm
- Keeps your baby’s room, laundry, and feeding areas clean and tidy
- Helps with light domestic work, where this has been agreed
An infant care nanny is usually the right fit if
- You need dependable, hands-on care at home during the working day
- You want one consistent caregiver your baby knows well
- You would like help around the home as well as with your baby
- You prefer to set the routine and guide your baby’s activities yourself
- Care is based at home and does not involve driving
What sets an infant care nanny apart
A nanny follows the routine you set and keeps it consistent. For many families, that calm, reliable presence is exactly what a baby needs.
A nanny is more involved in the household than a babysitter and more home-based than an au pair. Nannies work during the day, so your baby has one steady caregiver through the week.
Nanny placements work best when the role is clear from the start. Working hours, your baby’s routine, and any light domestic work are agreed before interviews begin.
Overnight care
Night Nurses
A night nurse, sometimes called a night nanny, cares for your baby overnight so that you can sleep. The role focuses on night feeds, settling, and building healthy sleep routines.
What a night nurse does
- Handles night feeds, or brings your baby to you for breastfeeding and settles them afterwards
- Winds, changes, and resettles your baby through the night
- Helps establish a bedtime and night-time sleep routine
- Keeps a record of feeds, nappies, and sleep for you to read in the morning
- Washes and sterilises bottles and prepares feeds for the next day
- Helps with light domestic work, such as laundry, where this has been agreed
- Lets you rest, knowing your baby is being watched over
A night nurse is usually the right fit if
- You have a newborn and need proper rest to recover
- You have twins or multiples
- You are recovering from a caesarean or a difficult birth
- You are back at work and cannot manage on broken sleep
- You want help settling your baby into a night-time routine
When families book a night nurse
Night nurses are most often booked for the newborn weeks, when broken sleep is hardest on a household. Some families book a night nurse for a few nights a week, and others for a set period after the birth.
A night nurse can work alongside a daytime nanny or au pair, giving your family consistent care around the clock.
Compare the roles
Infant Care Roles at a Glance
Not sure which role your family needs? Here is how the three compare on the things parents ask about most.
| Compare | Infant care au pair | Nanny | Night nurse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Your baby’s development | Your baby’s daily care and comfort | Night-time care and sleep |
| Best suited to | Families who want stimulation and milestones actively planned | Families who need dependable, hands-on care at home | Newborn weeks, multiples, and parents who need to sleep |
| When they work | Daytime | Daytime | Overnight |
| Home support | Baby-related tasks only | Light domestic work, as agreed | Light domestic work, as agreed |
| Driving | Driver’s licence and own car | Not usually | Not required |
Still deciding? Many families combine roles, such as a daytime nanny or au pair with a night nurse for the newborn weeks. Tell us about your baby and we’ll recommend the right fit.
Chat to us on WhatsAppHow it works
How the Hiring Process Works
Finding the right infant care starts with understanding your baby, your routine, and the kind of support you need. With this knowledge, we can recommend candidates whose experience suits your baby’s stage and your household.
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Register
Register with Au Pair Extraordinaire.
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Share your needs
Tell us about your baby, your routine, schedule, location, and the support you need.
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We build your shortlist
We help you choose the right role and identify suitable au pairs, nannies, or night nurses.
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Review profiles
You receive pre-screened candidate profiles.
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Interview
You meet or interview your preferred candidates.
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Select and place
We support you through final selection and placement.
How we match
When building your shortlist, we consider:
- Your baby’s age and stage
- Daily routine
- Day or night care
- Personality
- Family fit
- Infant care experience
- Training
- Communication
Ready to meet your infant care specialist?
Start your application today, or send us a message if you’d like to chat first.
Screening
How we screen our infant care specialists
Families trust us because our screening process is thorough and focused on quality. Every infant care candidate passes five stages before they reach your shortlist, and every one of them has worked with babies before.
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01
Application and CV review
Minimum requirements, including three years of childcare experience and time spent caring for babies.We screen hundreds of CVs daily. Every candidate must have:
- At least three years of childcare experience
- Hands-on experience caring for babies
- A valid South African ID
- At least two contactable childcare references
- For daytime roles, willingness to commit to a position for at least 12 months
- For infant care au pairs, a Matric certificate, a valid driver’s licence, and their own reliable car
Only 1 in 10 applicants reaches the next phase.
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02
Structured interviews
Psychologist-designed questions, with a close look at each candidate’s experience with babies.We interview the candidate, using structured questions created by a psychologist. Here we look to get a firmer grip on their underlying motives, abilities, and passion for infant care.
We also go specifically into their experience with babies: the ages they have cared for, how they handle feeding, sleep, and settling, and how they have dealt with real situations in an infant’s day.
Roughly half of applicants at this stage get our stamp of approval.
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03
Reference and employment checks
We mine all past employment. A single bad reference is enough to cut representation.
Every applicant has not only been vetted and cleared as an exceptional candidate, but we know each of them well enough to match them perfectly with the right family.
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04
Childcare competency test
Real-world childcare skills, put to the test.We go beyond personality to evaluate the real-world abilities of our candidates with our custom-built Child Care Competency Test.
These assessments go beyond what a CV can convey, evaluating candidates’ practical, day-to-day skills and ability to handle real-world scenarios effectively.
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05
Final checks
We take a final, careful look into each candidate’s background before placement.Before placement, every successful candidate completes a Criminal Background Check.
Families can also add ID Verification, a Premium Social Media Check with a comprehensive report, TransUnion Credit Check, Driver’s Licence Verification and Academic Qualification Verification.
Salary guide
What can I expect to pay for infant care?
Salary depends on the role, the candidate’s experience, whether care is by day or by night and, for night care, how many babies need looking after.
A loose guide, not a quote
Every family needs a different level of support, so please treat these ranges as a starting point only. Speak to your recruiter for an accurate salary recommendation based on your brief.
Nanny
Monthly salary
- Live-in nannyR8 000 – R10 000
- Live-out nannyR9 000 – R12 000
- Nanny who drives or manages the householdR12 000 – R15 000
Night nurse
Rate per night
- One babyR700 – R850
- TwinsR850 – R1 000
Au pair
With infant care experience
- Standard au pair salaryWork it out with our au pair salary calculatorR2 000 – R5 000extra per month
An au pair with infant care experience earns more than a standard au pair. Use our au pair salary calculator to find the standard salary, then add R2 000 to R5 000 per month. The same applies to part-time baby au pairs.
The family pays the candidate’s salary directly.
How our agency fees work
Our placement fee is once-off, based on the candidate’s salary, and payable before they start work. Choose the plan that suits your family, then use our calculator to estimate your fee.
Standard
3-month replacement guarantee
Premium Most peace of mind
6-month replacement guarantee
Both plans include
- Criminal check
- Standardised agency interviews
- Reference checks
- Childcare Competency Test
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
A nanny is a hands-on child minder who takes care of your baby’s daily needs, follows the routine you set, and can help with light domestic work. An infant care au pair is a development-led carer who plans stimulation, tracks milestones, helps shape the routine, and gives you structured feedback on your baby’s progress.
An infant care specialist is a carer whose experience is with babies. Every one we place has at least three years of childcare experience and has worked with infants before. At Au Pair Extraordinaire, this includes infant care au pairs, nannies, and night nurses.
A night nurse cares for your baby overnight. This includes night feeds, winding, nappy changes, resettling, helping to establish a sleep routine, light housework and tidying/sterilising, so that parents can rest.
It depends on what you need most. A night nurse helps you rest in the early weeks. A nanny provides hands-on daytime care. An infant care au pair adds planned stimulation and milestone tracking as your baby grows.
No. An infant care au pair’s time is given to your baby, including baby-related tasks such as bottles and keeping the nursery in order. They will however ensure baby's nursery and play areas are tidy, prepare purees/solids, and sterilise equipment, so light baby-related housework is still in their wheelhouse. If you need light household domestic work included, a nanny is the better fit.
Yes. A night nurse can cover the newborn weeks at night alongside a daytime nanny or au pair, and a nanny or au pair can continue once nights have settled.
It depends on the role. As a loose guide, a nanny earns about R8 000 to R15 000 per month, depending on whether they live in, live out, or drive. A night nurse charges about R700 to R1 000 per night. An au pair with infant care experience earns R2 000 to R5 000 per month more than a standard au pair. See the salary guide on this page for the full breakdown.
Our screening process includes an application and CV review, structured interviews, reference and employment checks, childcare competency assessments and criminal background checks. Every infant care candidate must have at least three years of childcare experience and have worked with babies before, and our interviews go specifically into that experience. Additional checks may be arranged when required.
Please contact us as soon as a concern arises. We will discuss the situation with you and explain the available support or replacement process. Depending on the package you selected, your placement comes with a three- or six-month replacement guarantee.
Still have a question?
Our team is happy to talk it through with you.