2021 List of the African Countries With Highest Minimum Wages.
Some African countries have high minimum wages, while others have very low minimum wages. What is the big deal with minimum wage? Well, the minimum wage is the lowest pay a worker must be paid. It is legally backed and mandated by law. Workers are expected to not work below the minimum wage. A lot of African countries have passed minimum wage bills into law.
High minimum wages in African countries will increase the living standard of Africans while tackling poverty and closing the inequality gap and make everyone feel happier.
So which African countries have higher minimum wages?
Sit back, let’s rank them for you.
Ranking of Top African Countries With Highest Minimum Wages
The minimum wage varies from one country to another. In this list, we looked at the minimum wage of African countries before tax deductions and other welfare levies. Here are the African countries with the highest minimum wages.
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Seychelles
Seychelle has the highest minimum wage in Africa. A Seychelles’ worker earns 5,276 dollars yearly, which could be converted to a little above 2 million Naira. In May 2020, Seychelles’ president, Danny Faure, increased the minimum wage and pension. The monthly salary for most Seychellois is now 424 dollars (approx. 163,498 Naira). Seychelles has the highest Human Development Index in Africa, and it is, according to the World Bank, a high-income economy.
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Libya
A Libyan worker earns up to 325 dollars ( approx. 125,323 Naira) monthly. The government also pays rent, power and water subsidy for their citizens. Libya is Africa’s fourth-largest country and among the largest in the world. It has an enormous crude oil reserve and a fairly prosperous economy.
Morroco
A Morrocan worker is paid about 265 dollars (101,627 Naira) per month if he works in the public sector, then the earning increases to 310 dollars (118,885 Naira) monthly. Morroco’s economy is capitalist and is one of Africa’s top quality-of-life countries. Morroco has a highly diversified economy with a strong tourism, service, textile and telecoms industry.
South Africa
South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa signed a new minimum wage into law in 2018. The minimum wage in South Africa is pegged at 3,500 Rands/ 213 dollars (81,685 Naira) monthly. South Africa is Africa’s second-largest economy (Nigeria is first). It also has one of the highest purchasing power parity in Africa. Though poverty, unemployment and inequality remains a big problem, South Africa has huge economic potential and is a very business-friendly economy
Gabon
Workers in Gabon earn 225 dollars (86, 287.50 Naira) monthly as minimum wage. In addition to that, the Gabonese government pays 34 dollars per child (13, 039 Naira) as monthly allowance, in addition to other benefits. Gabon economy is oil-dependent and has helped increase the standard of living in the country. Also, their economy has a thriving extractive industry.
Equatorial Guinea
Equitorial Guineans earn as much as 224 dollars (85,680.00 Naira) monthly as minimum wage. Equatorial Guinea is an oil-dependent economy. It also generates revenue from forestry, farming and fishing.
Congo-Brazzaville
Workers in Congo earn 170 dollars (65025 Naira) monthly minimum wage. The economy of congo is dependent on oil. Though there is a thriving agriculture and forestry industry, the Congolese economy has large mineral reserves. The country exports natural gas and diamonds.
Ranking the African Countries With Lowest Minimum Wages
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Malawi
Workers in Malawi may earn as low as 41 (15, 793 Naira) dollars monthly. Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries, with more than 70% of the population living in villages. The economy is agricultural dependent. The Malawian economy also relies on aid from international organisations and wealthy countries.
Guinea-Bissau
Workers in Guinea-Bissau earn $30 (11, 475 Naira) per month and a bag of rice as minimum wage. This country has the lowest Human Development Index and GDP in the world. More than half of the population in Guinea-Bissau is poor, and the economy is mostly agriculturally based.
Uganda
Ugandan workers earn 34.58 dollars (13, 226 Naira) as minimum wage. Uganda is an emerging country that depends on agriculture; it has one of the lowest GDPs in the world.
Burundi
Burundi has no minimum wage. The lack of a minimum wage in Burundi means that workers are not required to be paid a minimum amount of money for their work.
Pay rates must be negotiated directly with the employer via collective bargaining or other methods of obtaining a fair or decent wage.
Burundi is among the least developed places in the world because of its landlocked terrain, weak legal system, low levels of economic liberty, low levels of education, and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Burundi’s poverty rate is around 80%. Burundi has had mass starvation and food scarcity, most recently in the twentieth century, and the World Food Programme reports that 56.8% of children under five are chronically malnourished.
Burundi’s solvency for imports is mostly dependent on climate and global coffee and tea rates.
Rwanda
Rwanda does not have a legally defined minimum wage.
In most circumstances, however, the minimum wage set down in the Labor Laws of 1974, 1973, or 1972 is used. Rwanda’s minimum salary has been RwF 100 (41.06 Nigerian Naira) since then.
During the 1994 genocide, Rwanda’s economy suffered greatly due to rampant deaths, an inability to repair infrastructure, violence, and the neglect of key agricultural goods.
This resulted in a significant decline in GDP and hampered the country’s capacity to attract both private and foreign investment.
If you followed this list of African Countries With Highest Minimum Wages carefully, you would have been able to decide the most prosperous African country.
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