Zimbabwe raises domestic workers’ minimum wage to $90, but still trails South Africa, Egypt and Kenya

Zimbabwe has raised the minimum monthly wage for domestic workers to $90 from $85 as the government seeks to ease pressure on low-income earners facing rising living costs.

The new wage structure takes effect immediately and also sets the minimum monthly wage for workers in unclassified operations at $270.

According to local reports, unclassified operations cover workers whose employers do not fall under National Employment Councils, which negotiate wages and employment conditions in organised sectors.

Zimbabwe’s Information Minister Soda Zhemu said the government reviewed the wages under Section 19 of the Labour Act. The decision followed recommendations from the Tripartite Wages and Salaries Advisory Council.

“Accordingly, the minimum wage for workers in unclassified operations is henceforth pegged at US$270 payable in local currency,” Zhemu said during a post-Cabinet media briefing.

“The minimum wage for domestic workers will be US$90.”

Under the revised schedule, yard workers and gardeners will receive at least $90 per month, while cooks and housekeepers will earn a minimum of $99.

Child minders and people caring for elderly persons or those with disabilities will receive at least $108. Carers for elderly people or persons with disabilities who hold a Red Cross certificate will earn a minimum of $117.

Zimbabwe’s new $90 monthly minimum wage for domestic workers is higher than Nigeria’s national minimum wage of N70,000 ($51).

Nigeria raised its national minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000 in July 2024. However, Zimbabwe’s revised domestic-worker rate remains below comparable wage floors in South Africa, Egypt and Kenya.

South Africa raised its national minimum wage from R28.79 to R30.23 an hour on March 1, 2026, with the new rate also applying to domestic workers.

Based on a 45-hour working week, an employee earns R5,894 a month, equivalent to $364.

Similarly, Egypt raised the private-sector minimum wage from EGP6,000 to EGP7,000 a month in March 2025 ($135).

Meanwhile, Kenya implemented a 6% increase in statutory minimum wages in November 2024.

Under the revised schedule, general labourers, including gardeners and domestic workers in Nairobi and other major cities, must earn at least KSh16,113.75 a month ($124).

The Kenyan figure excludes the statutory housing allowance payable when an employer does not provide accommodation..

South Africa applies an hourly rate, while Kenya determines minimum pay according to occupation and location. Nigeria and Egypt, by contrast, use broader monthly wage floors.

Overall, the figures show that Zimbabwe’s new domestic-worker minimum remains below comparable wage rates in South Africa, Egypt and Kenya.

However, Zimbabwe’s $270 minimum wage for workers in unclassified operations is higher in US-dollar terms than the statutory monthly wage floors in Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt.

The wage increase comes as Zimbabwe seeks to stabilise its economy after years of inflation, currency depreciation and declining household purchasing power.

However, the country continues to face severe borrowing constraints because of longstanding debt arrears.

As a result, Zimbabwe has remained largely excluded from international capital markets and most official financing for more than two decades.

In April 2026, the International Monetary Fund approved a 10-month staff-monitored programme aimed at strengthening fiscal discipline, monetary stability and economic governance.

The programme does not provide Zimbabwe with an IMF loan. Instead, it is intended to help the government build a credible reform record as it pursues debt restructuring, clears its arrears and seeks renewed access to international financing.

Zimbabwe’s public debt stood at $23.4 billion in the latest reported figures, including $13.6 billion in external obligations. Meanwhile, the IMF has estimated the country’s arrears to official creditors at $7.4 billion.

Zimbabwe operates a multicurrency system in which the US dollar circulates alongside Zimbabwe Gold, or ZiG.

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mushayavanhu has argued that the ZiG is undervalued and could be worth almost twice its prevailing market value, based on the country’s gold and foreign-exchange reserves.

Nevertheless, confidence in the local currency remains fragile after repeated currency failures and periods of hyperinflation. Consequently, many businesses and households continue to prefer the US dollar.

Although the government has linked the new wage rates to the US dollar, employers may pay workers in local currency at the applicable exchange rate.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s economy has benefited from improved agricultural production and stronger earnings from gold and other minerals.

The central bank expects economic growth of at least 5% in 2026, supported by favourable gold and platinum-group metal prices.

Despite the improved outlook, high food, transport, housing and electricity costs continue to weigh on workers.

Domestic workers remain among Zimbabwe’s lowest-paid employees, with some earning as little as $50 a month, particularly where employers fail to comply with statutory wage requirements.

The increase to $90 offers some relief, but its impact will depend on enforcement, inflation and the exchange rate applied when employers pay wages in local currency.