Zimbabwe
Introduction
General overview & country facts, as well as labour regulations.
Employer Contributions
These are additional costs incurred by employers over and above the employee’s monthly gross salary and/or bonus.
Employee Contributions
These are costs incurred by employees that reduce their monthly gross salary and/or bonus to determine their net “take home” pay.
Employment Terms
All you need to know about salary & bonuses, working hours & overtime, probation period, notice period & severance pay, as well as all leave types.
COUNTRY PLAYBOOK
Zimbabwe
Everything you need to know about payroll, benefits & hiring top talent in Zimbabwe
Currency
Zimbabwean dollar (ZWL)
Salary payment frequency
Monthly
Capital
Harare
Time Zone
GMT +2:00
Official Languages
Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa.
Is English spoken?
Yes
Quick Links
Introduction
General Overview & Economic Facts
- Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa
- Zimbabwe has around 15 million people and is approximately 390, 757 square kilometers (150, 872.12sq mi)
- Zimbabwe is a republic with a presidential system of government
- Zimbabwe is a developing country ranking 150th on the Human Development Index. It has the world’s 166th-largest economy by nominal GDP and the 160th-largest by PPP. Reassuringly Zimbabwe’s economy grew by an average of 12% between 2009 and 2013. This makes it one of the fastest growing economies in the world. This growth assisted Zimbabwe with recovering from its negative growth between 1998 and 2008
Why Employ In Zimbabwe?
- The main exports from Zimbabwe are minerals, gold, and agriculture. Tourism also plays an important role in the Zimbabwean economy
- 20.16% of the population is between the ages of 15 and 24 years, with 32.94% of the population being between the ages of 25 and 54. The relatively low cost of labour, youthful population as well as quality education system makes Zimbabwe an attractive place to hire young and intelligent individuals at a low cost of employment
Overview Of The Labour Law
- Zimbabwe’s Labour laws have been evolving over the past decade to keep up with changes in the modern economy. The main sources of employment law in Zimbabwe are the Constitution of Zimbabwe 2013, the Labour Act, industry- specific Collective Bargaining Agreements, common law, judicial precedent, and authoritative texts
- All employees in Zimbabwe are protected by Labour laws. Labour law specifies minimum conditions of employment. Minimum conditions of employment are specified under Industry Specific Bargaining Agreements
- There are strict laws in Zimbabwe surrounding employment contracts to protect all types of workers in the country. Every employee has the right to be a member of a trade union which is registered or certified
Fun Country Facts
- Zimbabwe’s Victoria falls is one of the biggest waterfalls in the world. The noise of Victoria Falls can be heard as far as 40 kilometers (24.85 miles) away
- Zimbabwe has the highest number of official languages compared to any other country
- In Zimbabwe, you can buy an item in South African Rands, pay in Euros and get change in United States dollar
Why Use Playroll Services For Zimbabwe?
- Employing in Zimbabwe requires companies to have their own legal entity in the country as well as managing payroll, employee benefits, taxes and legal compliance. This can get quite complicated, especially with the complexity of employment laws in Zimbabwe
- With Playroll’s Employer of Record services, your team will be employed by our established legal entities in each country
- We will take care of payroll, employee benefits, taxes, legal compliance and provide ongoing employee support, so that you can focus on growing your business
Employer Contributions
These are additional costs incurred by employers over and above the employee’s monthly gross salary and/or bonus.
Pension Fund and Other Benefits Scheme (POBS)
Calculated on basic salary
4.50%
Calculated on a maximum salary of ZWL 500,966
Manpower Development Fund
Calculated on total gross wage bill of the employer as well as all company contributions.
1.00%
Standards Development Fund
Calculated on total gross wage bill of the employer
0.50%
Accident Prevention and Workers Compensation Scheme (APWCS)
Calculated on the total wage bill of the company
2.00 – 11.00%
Employee Contributions
These are costs incurred by employees that reduce their monthly gross salary and/or bonus to determine their net “take home” pay.
Pension and Other Benefits Scheme (POBS)
Calculated on basic salary.
4.50%
Calculated on a maximum salary of ZWL 31,860
Income Tax
Income Tax is ‘Pay As You Earn’
Calculated on taxable income
Income bracket per annum
0.00 – 300,000.00
0.00%
300,001.00 – 720,000.00
ZWL 0.00 + 20.00% for each ZWL above 300,000.00
720,001.00 – 1,440,000.00
ZWL 84000.00 + 25.00% for each ZWL above 720,000.00
1,440,001.00 –2,880,000.00
ZWL 264,000.00 + 30.00% for each ZWL above 1,440,000.00
2,880,001.00 – 6,000,000.00
ZWL 696,000.00 + 35.00% for each ZWL above 2,880,000.00
6,000,000 or more
ZWL 1,788,000 + 40.00% for each ZWL above 6,000,000.00
National Aids Trust Fund
Calculated on personal income tax liability
3.00%
Employment Terms
General
Minimum Wage
- ZWL 2549.74 per hour
Working Hours
- Maximum of 44 hours per week and 8.5 hours per day
- Minimum 60-minute meal interval after 5 or more hours worked
- The maximum working hours are not legislated, but these are the standard working hours determined by the National Employment Council
Overtime
- Maximum of 2 hours per day
Notice Period
Indefinite term
- 3 months
Fixed term contracts
- 0-3 month contract- 1 day’s notice
- 3-6 month contract- 2 weeks’ notice
- 6-12 month contract- 1 month’s notice
- 12-24 month contract- 2 months’ notice
- 24 or more months contract- 3 months’ notice
Severance Pay
- 1 month for every 2 years of service
- Severance is only payable where the employee is retrenched due to redundancy
Probation Period
- Full-time employee- 3 months
- Casual or Seasonal employees- 1 day
Bonus
- Bonuses are determined by the parties to the employment contract
- It is however compulsory for certain Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) to pay a bonus or 13th cheque.
Public Holidays
Public holidays 2022
- January 1st – New Year
- February 21st – Robert Mugabe National Youth Day
- April 15th – Good Friday
- April 18th – Easter Monday
- April 18th – Independence Day
- May 1st – Worker’s Day
- May 25th – Africa Day
- August 8th – Heroes Day
- August 9th – Defence Forces Day
- December 22nd – Unity Day
- December 25th – Christmas Day
- December 26th – Boxing Day
Leave
Paid Leave / Vacation Days
- 30 days or two and a half days per month (after one year of employment)
- An employee who has no accrued vacation leave may take unpaid vacation leave
Sick Leave
- Paid leave
- Paid by employer
- 90 days per year (at 100% pay)
- 91 – 180 days per year (at 50% pay)
Maternity Leave
- Paid leave
- Paid by employer
- 98 working days per 24 months (if employed for at least 1 year)
Leave in excess of 98 days, or if employed for less than 1 year, may be granted as unpaid leave
Paternity Leave
- There is no statutory obligation to grant paternity leave
- Paternity leave is granted at the discretion of the employer
Family Responsibility Leave
- Unpaid leave
- Maximum of 12 days per year
Start hiring in Zimbabwe today!