Hermanus, Western Cape

Find a nanny you can feel good about.

I personally meet and vet every nanny in my database, get to know your family's needs, and make the match - so you're not sifting through a flood of replies from people you know nothing about.

Find a nanny for my family Browse guides

Why families use Hermanus Helpers

"We moved to Hermanus for three months and had no idea how to find reliable childcare. Kirst matched us within a week - it felt like asking a trusted friend for a recommendation."

Personal

Shortlist of 1–3, personally selected

Vetted

Every candidate personally met

Local

Hermanus families only

The problem

Finding a nanny in Hermanus
is harder than it should be.

Anyone can call themselves a nanny. Post in a Facebook group and you'll have 30 replies by morning - and no real way to know who's worth meeting.

💬

Recommendations get lost

WhatsApp groups and Facebook posts attract dozens of replies - but rarely from people with real references or personal knowledge of the candidate.

⏱

Vetting takes real effort

The no-shows. The wasted mornings. The references that don't pick up. Families who try to vet candidates themselves quickly find out how much invisible work is involved.

🤷

No one knows the going rate

Salary norms for nannies in Hermanus are opaque. Families don't know what's fair to offer - and good candidates don't know what to ask for.

✈️

Visiting families start from scratch

Families spending weeks or months in Hermanus often have little insight into the local childcare market. Finding someone trustworthy, quickly, without local context can be tricky.

📋

No one helps with onboarding

Even after a family finds someone, the first few weeks are make-or-break - and there's no support for how to structure a trial period or give useful feedback.

🤝

Great nannies miss out too

Hermanus has many outstanding nannies who rely entirely on word-of-mouth. Without a trusted route to market, the best people go unnoticed.

The process

How Hermanus Helpers works

A hands-on matching service - not a directory, not an agency. I'm involved at every step to make sure the match is actually right for both sides.

Tell me about your family

Fill in a short intake form about your needs - hours, age of children, what matters most to you. I'll follow up to make sure I understand the full picture.

I make the match

I search my private database of personally vetted candidates and put together a shortlist of 1–3 people I genuinely think are the right fit - never a generic list.

Warm introduction

I personally introduce you with context on why I think it's a good match. You take it from there - your own interviews, your own trial.

Onboarding support

Trial guides for both you and your nanny, a post-trial debrief, and ongoing support throughout the relationship. Our full guide library is included free.

Who I work with

For families. And for nannies.

Hermanus Helpers works on both sides - because a good match requires knowing both people well.

For families in Hermanus

You need a reliable nanny - and you don't have time to vet 10+ people.

Whether you live here full-time or you're visiting for the season, I'll do the hard work of finding someone you can trust. I know the local candidate pool well, I've met all of them personally, and I only recommend people I'd consider for my own family.

Full-time and part-time nannies in Hermanus
Short-stay and seasonal childcare
Guidance on fair Hermanus salary rates
Trial support, onboarding guidance, and ongoing relationship tips

Get started

For nannies looking for work

You're great at your job - but finding families relies on word of mouth.

The best nannies in Hermanus shouldn't have to depend on luck or knowing the right people. If you're hardworking, reliable, and good with children, I want to know about you - and I'll actively refer you to families looking for someone exactly like you.

I'll build a comprehensive profile for you
I'll personally refer you to matching families
Guidance on fair salary expectations
Ongoing connection as new families come through
Always free - no fees for nannies, ever

Apply to join

Also placing au pairs - get in touch if that's you.

"This isn't an agency. It's just me, doing something I genuinely think Hermanus needs."

About us

A local mom who knows exactly how hard this is.

I'm Kirst - I live in Hermanus with my husband and two young boys. I'm also an admin of the Hermanus Moms WhatsApp community, which means I've seen (and fielded) hundreds of nanny requests over the years.

Before this, I spent years in the tech industry as a product manager - professionally obsessed with identifying real problems and building things that actually solve them. This is one of those things.

I've hired nannies myself. Good experiences and bad ones. I know what to look for, and what a genuinely strong candidate looks like - regardless of how polished their CV is.

I also have a background in tutoring and teaching, and I believe informed families make better employers. So alongside the matching service, I'm building a growing library of practical guides - to help families set up the relationship well from day one.

How we work

What Hermanus Helpers stands for.

👶🏼 Experienced childcare only.

We only list nannies with previous childcare experience - nanny work, crèche, preschool, or similar roles. We don't take chances with first-timers.

🤝 Trusted in the community.

Every candidate has at least one contactable reference from within the Hermanus community - someone who has personally seen them work with children.

🌿 It takes a village.

Children thrive when they have secure attachments to caring adults beyond their primary caregivers. Finding your village - people you can genuinely trust with your children - is what we're here for.

🤲🏼 Mutual respect and dignity.

Having a nanny is a privilege. Your nanny is caring for your most precious people and may come from a very different walk of life. We believe in fairness, generosity, and treating this relationship with the weight it deserves - on both sides.

🤍 Heart beyond credentials.

Certificates and experience matter - but they're not enough on their own. We look for nannies who genuinely love being with children, not just people who need a job. Warmth, patience, and loyalty matter just as much as what's on a CV.

For visiting families

Staying in Hermanus for a few months?

Many families come to Hermanus from far and wide for weeks or months at a time - for the whales, the schools, the pace of life. Finding trustworthy childcare quickly, without local context, can be genuinely tricky.

I work with seasonal and short-stay families regularly. I understand what you need, I know the local market well, and I'll make sure you find someone you can trust for your time here - even if you only need someone for a few weeks.

Find a nanny

New to finding childcare in South Africa?

I'll walk you through how it works here - including what's normal, what's fair, and what to expect.

Short-term placements welcome

I work with families needing help for as little as a few weeks. Some candidates are specifically open to short-term arrangements.

Guidance on going rates in Hermanus

One of the most common questions I get from visiting families. I'll give you honest, current information on what's fair to offer.

What it costs

Simple, transparent fees.

Two tiers - both structured in three steps, so you only commit the bulk of the fee once you've met your match.

Standard

Long-term or flexible timeline

Search deposit — refundable if no match found R500

Before trial begins R1,500

When you decide to hire R1,500

Total R3,500

Seasonal

Fixed-term placements with set dates - typically high season

Search deposit — refundable if no match found R500

On confirmation of candidate R4,500

If a trial is preferred, the balance can be split. See fee guide for details

Total R5,000

All placements include free access to our full library of nanny guides - practical resources to help you set up the relationship well from day one.

For context, formal agencies typically charge R9,600-12,000. · Full fee guide →

Questions

Things people ask

Is this an agency?

No. Hermanus Helpers is a personal matching service, not a registered employment agency. I introduce families to nannies - that's it. Families conduct their own interviews, arrange their own contracts, and pay nannies directly. I'm not involved in employment.

What does it cost?

Families pay a placement fee, structured in three steps. R3,500 for standard placements, R5,000 for seasonal fixed-term. See how fees work →

Do you interview every candidate?

Yes - and always in person. Meeting face to face tells me things a phone call never would: did she arrive on time? How does she carry herself? Is she warm, present, curious? I ask about experience and preferences, but the implicit cues matter just as much as the answers. I only add someone I'd genuinely consider recommending.

Are you responsible for contracts or employment?

No. Hermanus Helpers makes introductions only. Families remain fully responsible for their own interviews, references, contracts, salary arrangements, and any other employment obligations. I'm the trusted connector - everything after the introduction is between you and your nanny directly.

How is this different from posting on Facebook?

A Facebook post in a local group gets you a flood of replies from people you know nothing about. With Hermanus Helpers, you get a shortlist from someone who has personally met the candidates, done thorough reference checks, and understands your family's needs - and who will tell you honestly if she doesn't have a good match right now.

What if the match doesn't work out?

It happens. I'll always try to understand why it didn't work and suggest an alternative if I have one. The trial period I recommend to every family is specifically designed to catch mismatches early - before anyone is uncomfortable or committed to something that isn't right.

Beyond the match

Already found a nanny?

Placements include free access to our full library of practical guides - covering every stage from interview to long-term relationship.

New nanny welcome guide

Everything to sort before day one

Nanny-employer relationship guide

Everything to agree on after day one

Browse all guides →