Minimum Wage by African Country in 2026: Every Country Ranked

Published: October 13, 2026

Key Facts

• Seychelles pays Africa's highest minimum wage in 2026. At about $491 a month, the island nation's wage floor is more than 320 times Uganda's $1.50, the continent's lowest recorded figure.
• Mauritius and Morocco hold the next two spots. Mauritius pays MUR 17,745 a month ($373.54) after a January 2026 increase, while Morocco's SMIG stands at MAD 3,423 ($352.49) following a 12.41% rise in January 2026.
• Four African countries have no national minimum wage at all. Djibouti abolished its rate in 2006, Rwanda's last official rate dates to 1974, and Somalia and South Sudan have no statutory rate, so they are excluded from the ranking.
• The DR Congo jumped into the top 10 in 2026. A phased increase under Decree 25/22 lifted the daily minimum to CDF 21,500, worth about $241.77 a month, putting the DRC ahead of Equatorial Guinea and Namibia.
• Old rates still hold their dollar value in some countries. Gabon's XAF 150,000 rate has not changed since 2010, but the CFA franc's peg to the euro has protected its dollar value at about $255.45, keeping Gabon fifth in Africa.

Sudan is not ranked: sources conflict between SDG 425 (general, from a 1974 law) and SDG 3,000 (civil service), and neither figure is verifiable or enforceable during the ongoing conflict. Djibouti, Rwanda, Somalia, and South Sudan have no statutory national minimum wage at all. Djibouti abolished its rate in the 2006 Labour Code; Rwanda's last official rate (RWF 100 a day) dates to 1974; Somalia has no statutory rate according to WageIndicator; and South Sudan's Labour Act of 2017 prescribes none.

1. Seychelles: $490.96 a month, SCR 7,098

Seychelles tops Africa's minimum wage ranking by a wide margin. The cabinet approved a 7% rise in the hourly minimum wage on March 13, 2025, the first since January 2020, taking it to SCR 40.95, effective April 1, 2025. On a full-time basis that equals about SCR 7,098 a month, converted here at the mid-market rate of October 12, 2026. The country's standard 45-hour working week would put the figure higher; this ranking uses a 40-hour convention for comparability. Seychelles is more than $117 a month ahead of Mauritius, the second-ranked country, which shows how far the small island state sits above the rest of the continent.

2. Mauritius: $373.54 a month, MUR 17,745

Mauritius's national minimum wage took effect on January 1, 2026, up 3.71% from MUR 17,110. The increase was the smallest in percentage terms among the countries reviewed, but the island's strong rupee keeps it comfortably second in Africa. Mauritius has a long tradition of regular wage reviews and sector-specific remuneration adjustments, which explains why its floor stays near the top of African rankings year after year.

3. Morocco: $352.49 a month, MAD 3,423

Morocco's minimum wage rose 12.41% on January 1, 2026, from MAD 3,045 to MAD 3,423. The figure is the monthly equivalent of the SMIG (salaire minimum interprofessionnel garanti), the non-agricultural minimum wage set by the hour. Agricultural workers fall under the SMAG, a different wage structure, and domestic workers have a separate hourly floor. Morocco's steady dirham and regular revisions keep it firmly third in Africa.

4. South Africa: $316.72 a month, ZAR 5,239.77

South Africa's national minimum wage rose from ZAR 28.79 to ZAR 30.23 an hour on March 1, 2026, a 5% increase. The country sets no statutory monthly wage, so the monthly figure is calculated on a 40-hour week (ZAR 30.23 x 40 x 52 / 12), a standard convention for comparability. With unemployment at 31.4% at the end of 2025, South Africa remains a reminder that a high wage floor does not mean a strong job market.

5. Gabon: $255.45 a month, XAF 150,000

Gabon's XAF 150,000 monthly minimum was introduced in 2010, rising from XAF 80,000, and has not been adjusted since. Sixteen years without a change would normally destroy a wage's value, but the CFA franc's peg to the euro has protected its dollar value. Gabon shows how a currency arrangement can freeze a ranking in place: the rate is old, but the dollars it converts into are not.

6. DR Congo: $241.77 a month, CDF 559,000

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the ranking's biggest climber. Decree 25/22 of May 30, 2025 phased the daily minimum from CDF 7,075 through CDF 14,500 to CDF 21,500, with the final phase taking effect in January 2026. At CDF 21,500 a day over 26 working days a month, the monthly figure is CDF 559,000, worth about $241.77. The increase was significant enough to fuel labor tensions in the DRC's mining industry, where employers were already paying above the old floor.

7. Equatorial Guinea: $219.74 a month, XAF 129,035

Equatorial Guinea's XAF 129,035 monthly minimum took effect in January 2019, about 10% above the previous XAF 117,304. Like Gabon, it has held its dollar value because of the CFA franc's link to the euro despite years without a change. The country's oil wealth once made it one of Africa's richest states per capita; its minimum wage now ranks seventh, ahead of much larger economies.

8. Namibia: $212.18 a month, NAD 3,510

Namibia introduced a national minimum wage through the 2024 Wage Order, effective January 1, 2025, set at NAD 18 an hour. The monthly figure here uses a 45-hour week (NAD 18 x 45 x 52 / 12 = NAD 3,510), consistent with the order's domestic worker provisions. Domestic, agricultural, and security workers converge to the full NAD 18 rate on January 1, 2027. Namibia is one of the few African countries to have created a national floor from scratch in recent years, which is why it ranks this high despite the short history.

9. Tunisia: $184.57 a month, TND 555

Tunisia's minimum wage rose 5.11% on January 1, 2026, from TND 528 to TND 555. The figure is a benchmark for non-agricultural workers; Tunisia's system varies by working hours and employment category, so it is not a single rate for all workers. The steady dinar and a regular revision cycle keep Tunisia in Africa's top 10.

10. Algeria: $178.27 a month, DZD 24,000

Algeria raised its minimum wage 20% on January 1, 2026, from DZD 20,000 to DZD 24,000. The increase was among the largest in percentage terms among the countries reviewed. It lifted Algeria above Cabo Verde in dollar terms, though it remains below Tunisia. Libya's LYD 1,000 floor sits just behind at $155.69, and Botswana's benchmark of $153.97 falls to 13th.

Which African country has the highest minimum wage in 2026?

Seychelles. Its hourly minimum of SCR 40.95, effective April 1, 2025, works out to about SCR 7,098 a month on a 40-hour week, worth about $490.96 at October 2026 exchange rates. Mauritius is second at $373.54 a month, more than $117 behind.

Which African country has the lowest minimum wage in 2026?

Uganda, at about $1.50 a month. The UGX 6,000 monthly minimum has been unchanged since January 1, 1984, which makes it 42 years old and purely symbolic. Proposals to raise it to between UGX 300,000 and UGX 400,000 have never been enacted. Burundi is second-lowest at $1.62, from a 1988 ministerial order. Both floors are so old that their dollar values mainly reflect decades of currency depreciation.

Which African countries have no minimum wage at all?

Four of the 54 African states have no statutory national minimum wage: Djibouti (which abolished its rate in the 2006 Labour Code), Rwanda (whose last official rate, RWF 100 a day, dates to 1974), Somalia (which has no statutory rate according to WageIndicator), and South Sudan (whose Labour Act of 2017 prescribes no rate). Sudan is effectively unrankable: sources cite SDG 425 from a 1974 law and SDG 3,000 for civil servants, and neither figure is verifiable during the ongoing conflict.

Is Nigeria's minimum wage low compared to other African countries?

Yes. Nigeria's NGN 70,000 monthly minimum is worth about $52.58 at October 2026 rates, which ranks 43rd of the 49 countries with a statutory rate. Ghana is one spot higher at $56.29, while Sierra Leone sits just below Nigeria at $48.81. Both Nigeria and Ghana are far below the continent's top floors, though both figures would need to be weighed against local living costs.

Do higher minimum wages mean workers are better off?

Not necessarily. Housing, food, transport, and utility costs vary widely, so a higher dollar wage can still buy less where prices are high. Minimum wages also only cover formal-sector workers, and most workers in Africa are informal, which means the statutory floor does not reach them. Some of the oldest rates in this ranking, like Uganda's 1984 floor, are not enforced at all. A minimum wage is a legal floor, not a measure of typical earnings.

Data Sources

• Minimum wage rates for 10 African countries from official labour-authority data and government gazettes, analyzed by Nairametrics and converted at exchange rates as of July 24, 2026, then re-converted at October 12, 2026 mid-market rates for comparability: African Exponent's top 10 minimum wages in 2026
• WageIndicator minimum wage database, per-country pages (Kenya, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, Somalia and others): WageIndicator minimum wage pages
• DR Congo minimum wage increase under Decree 25/22 (Ecofin Agency): minimum wage hike fuels labor tensions in DRC mining industry
• Namibia National Minimum Wage brochure (Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment): National Minimum Wage Brochure
• Kenya wages guide 2026 (Grant Thornton / Legal Notice No. 95 of 2026): Kenya wages guide 2026
• Niger minimum wage increase to XOF 42,000 (Africa News Agency, Oct 22, 2025): Niger minimum wage increased to 42,000 CFA
• Malawi minimum wage hike to MWK 126,000 (Maravi Post, May 2025): Malawi hikes minimum wage by 40%
• Congo SMIG increase to XAF 70,400 (Convergence Afrique, Nov 2024): Congo SMIG passes to 70,400 FCFA per month
• Cameroon SMIG Decree 2024/0168 (Prime Minister's office, official PDF): Decret ndeg 2024 0168 (official decree)
• Mozambique minimum wage 2026 (Council of Ministers, Apr 28, 2026): Mozambique minimum wage 2026
• Eswatini Regulations of Wages Orders 2024 (government gazette): Eswatini wages orders 2024
• Zambia minimum wage (Labour Rights Index 2024): Labour Rights Index Zambia 2024
• Egypt minimum wage (Cercli labour law resource): Egypt minimum wage
• Tanzania industry minimum wages increase (Bloomberg Law, Jan 1, 2026): Tanzania increases industry minimum wages
• Sierra Leone minimum wage update from April 1, 2026 (WageIndicator): Sierra Leone minimum wage update
• Ethiopia public-sector salary increase (Addis Standard): labor confederation urges private sector
• Country minimum wage guides 2026 (Playroll): Playroll country hiring guides
• Exchange rates: mid-market rates on October 12, 2026 (exchangerate-api.com)

Related reading: top 10 highest minimum wages in Africa in 2026, top 10 weakest currencies in Africa in 2026, highest-paid government jobs in Nigeria in 2026, most powerful countries in Africa in 2026.

Methodology

This ranking orders African countries by the monthly US-dollar value of their national statutory minimum wage. Forty-nine countries are ranked; four (Djibouti, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan) have no statutory national minimum wage and are excluded, and Sudan is listed unranked because no verifiable figure exists. All local-currency figures are converted at a single date, October 12, 2026 mid-market rates, so the dollar values are comparable. Where a minimum wage is set daily or hourly, the monthly equivalent is calculated using the country's standard working arrangements (daily rates x 30.44, hourly rates x stated weekly hours x 52 / 12). For countries with only sectoral or occupational minima (Kenya, Eswatini, Mozambique, Gambia), the most representative general benchmark is used and noted. Public-sector-only floors are excluded from national rankings, with Egypt's public-sector EGP 8,000 rate the clearest example. Figures reflect data available as of October 13, 2026. Rows flagged as thin come from single or uncorroborated sources and are marked in the table rather than presented as firm. Figures are rounded to two decimals; small differences between similarly-ranked countries should not be treated as precise.