Published: September 30, 2026 | Last updated: September 30, 2026
Key Facts
- Seychelles has the highest minimum wage in Africa at about $491 a month, our calculation from its official hourly rate of SCR 40.95 (wage.is, February 2026; Wise, September 2026)
- Mauritius, Morocco and South Africa are the only other countries with monthly minimum wages above $300, with Mauritius leading the group at $374.21 (Nairametrics, July 30, 2026)
- Libya recorded the largest local-currency increase at 122.22%, yet ranks only 10th in dollar terms (Nairametrics, July 30, 2026)
- Nigeria's ₦70,000 minimum wage is worth about $51.43 and Ghana's about $50.54, both far below the $153.97 that Botswana, the last country on Nairametrics' list, pays (Nairametrics, July 30, 2026)
- Gabon's minimum wage has not changed since 2010, but the CFA franc's peg to the euro has kept it near $258 (Nairametrics, July 30, 2026)
| Rank | Country | Monthly Minimum Wage (Local Currency) | USD Equivalent | Effective From | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seychelles | SCR 7,098 (SCR 40.95 per hour) | ≈ $491* | April 1, 2025 | Sept 2026 |
| 2 | Mauritius | MUR 17,745 | $374.21 | Jan 1, 2026 | July 24, 2026 |
| 3 | Morocco | MAD 3,423 | $365.55 | Jan 1, 2026 | July 24, 2026 |
| 4 | South Africa | ZAR 5,239.77 (ZAR 30.23 per hour) | $311.23 | Mar 1, 2026 | July 24, 2026 |
| 5 | Gabon | XAF 150,000 | $258.07 | 2010 | July 24, 2026 |
| 6 | Equatorial Guinea | XAF 129,035 | $222.00 | Jan 2019 | July 24, 2026 |
| 7 | Tunisia | TND 555 | $187.77 | Jan 1, 2026 | July 24, 2026 |
| 8 | Algeria | DZD 24,000 | $179.99 | Jan 1, 2026 | July 24, 2026 |
| 9 | Cabo Verde | CVE 17,000 | $174.79 | Jan 1, 2025 | July 24, 2026 |
| 10 | Libya | LYD 1,000 | $156.27 | Recent (from LYD 450) | July 24, 2026 |
Selected Details About Each Country on the List
1. Seychelles
About $491 per month (SCR 7,098). 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. At the mid-market rate in mid-September 2026, one rupee was worth about $0.069. The Employment Act's standard 45-hour week would put the monthly figure higher. Nairametrics' ranking left Seychelles out, so this figure is our own calculation.
2. Mauritius
$374.21 per month (MUR 17,745). The rate took effect on January 1, 2026, up 3.71% from MUR 17,110, the smallest adjustment among the countries reviewed. It sits just $8.66 ahead of Morocco. Nairametrics credits regular wage reviews and sector-specific remuneration adjustments for the framework.
3. Morocco
$365.55 per month (MAD 3,423). The wage rose 12.41% from MAD 3,045 on January 1, 2026. The figure is the monthly equivalent of the SMIG, the non-agricultural minimum wage, which is set by the hour. Agricultural workers fall under a different wage structure.
4. South Africa
$311.23 per month (ZAR 5,239.77). The national minimum wage rose from ZAR 28.79 to ZAR 30.23 an hour on March 1, 2026, a 5% increase. South Africa sets no statutory monthly wage, so the monthly figure is calculated on a 40-hour week. The country's unemployment rate stood at 31.4% at the end of 2025, so a high wage floor does not mean a strong job market.
5. Gabon
$258.07 per month (XAF 150,000). The wage was introduced in 2010, rising from XAF 80,000 (+87.5%), and has not been adjusted since. A francophone SMIG comparison table from August 2026 also dates Gabon's rate to 2010. The CFA franc's peg to the euro has protected its dollar value.
6. Equatorial Guinea
$222.00 per month (XAF 129,035). The rate 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 going years without a change.
7. Tunisia
$187.77 per month (TND 555). The rate rose 5.11% from TND 528 on January 1, 2026. 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.
8. Algeria
$179.99 per month (DZD 24,000). Algeria raised its minimum wage 20%, from DZD 20,000, on January 1, 2026. The increase lifted it above Cabo Verde in dollar terms, though it remains below Tunisia and the three Central African countries above it on the list.
9. Cabo Verde
$174.79 per month (CVE 17,000). The current rate took effect on January 1, 2025, up 13.33% from CVE 15,000. It is the only country in the top 10 whose latest increase came before 2026, apart from the three countries with older, unchanged rates.
10. Libya
$156.27 per month (LYD 1,000). The wage replaced a previous LYD 450, a 122.22% rise that was the largest in local-currency terms among the countries reviewed. The exchange rate still holds it near the bottom of the list in dollars. It edges out Botswana by only $2.30.
Quick Answers to Commonly Asked Questions About this Topic
Which African country has the highest minimum wage?
Seychelles, at about $491 a month by our calculation from its hourly rate of SCR 40.95. Among countries in Nairametrics' published ranking, Mauritius leads at $374.21, followed by Morocco at $365.55.
Why aren't Nigeria and Ghana in the top 10?
Ghana's daily minimum of GHS 21.77, about GHS 587.79 a month, is worth about $50.54, and Nigeria's ₦70,000 is worth about $51.43. Both are far below Libya's $156.27, the lowest figure in the top 10.
Why are Botswana, Egypt and Tanzania not on the list?
Botswana's benchmark of $153.97 falls to 11th once Seychelles is included. Egypt's private-sector floor is still EGP 7,000, and the EGP 8,000 minimum from July 2026 applies to the public sector. Tanzania raised its public-sector minimum to TSh 500,000, but the general private-sector monthly rate is TSh 175,000. Public-sector floors are not national minimum wages for all workers, so they are excluded.
Does a higher minimum wage mean a higher standard of living?
Not necessarily. Housing, food, transport and utility costs vary widely, so a higher dollar wage can still buy less. Minimum wages also only cover formal-sector workers, and many workers in Africa are informal.
Which countries raised their minimum wage most in 2026?
By local-currency increase: Libya (+122.22%), Algeria (+20%), Morocco (+12.41%), Tunisia (+5.11%), South Africa (+5%) and Mauritius (+3.71%). Bigger increases do not always mean higher dollar wages, as Libya shows.
Data Sources
- Nairametrics, "Top 10 African countries with the highest minimum wages in 2026," July 30, 2026. Pulled September 30, 2026. http://nairametrics.com/2026/07/30/top-10-african-countries-with-the-highest-minimum-wages-in-2026/
- wage.is, "Average Salary & Minimum Wage in Seychelles," February 25, 2026. https://wage.is/seychelles/
- Wise, Seychellois rupee to US dollar exchange rate history, September 2026. https://wise.com/us/currency-converter/scr-to-usd-rate/history
Methodology
This ranking orders African countries by the monthly US-dollar value of their national statutory minimum wage. Nine of the ten figures, including the local-currency rates and dollar equivalents, come from Nairametrics' analysis of official labour-authority data and government gazettes, converted at exchange rates as of July 24, 2026. Seychelles was excluded from that analysis, so we calculated its figure ourselves: the official hourly rate of SCR 40.95 multiplied by 173.33 working hours a month (a 40-hour week, the same convention Nairametrics used for South Africa) gives SCR 7,098, converted at Wise's mid-market rate of about $0.069 in mid-September 2026.
