POPULATION
21.3m
CURRENCY
ZK (ZMW)
CAPITAL CITY
Lusaka
Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Known for its stunning landscapes, diverse culture, and rich history, Zambia is a popular destination for tourism and cultural exploration. From the bustling streets of Lusaka to the serene landscapes of Victoria Falls, Zambia offers a wealth of cultural and natural attractions.
Zambia's economy is largely based on mining, agriculture, and services. The country is a major exporter of goods and a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors from around the world with its beautiful cities, historic sites, and world-renowned cuisine.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this content. It is not legal advice and shall not be relied on as such.
Written contracts are mandatory when agreements are made for a minimum of 6 months. Written contracts must include the following information: employee name, place of origin, and other particulars; employer and business name, place of engagement, and other particulars; start date and duration of the contract of service; wage; the nature of the employment, working hours, place of work, tasks and any other details necessary to clearly outline the type of work for which the employee has been hired. Written contracts must be made in duplicate, signed by both parties, and attested by an authorized officer.
Oral contracts are allowed and binding between the parties. Unless required by law, all service agreements can be made orally. Oral contracts, unless agreed otherwise, are valid for the period by reference to which the wage is calculated (daily or monthly).
Even in the case of oral contracts, the law states that a contract record must be prepared in writing. It must contain the following information: employee name, sex, and nationality; employer name, address, and occupation; type of contract and start date; type and place of work; wage and any other additional payments and payment interval. This record must be prepared in duplicate and given to the employee no later than a month from commencement.
An implied contract exists when a party conducts themself in a way that a reasonable man would believe that they are unambiguously agreeing to the terms as proposed by the other party. In Zambia, implied contracts of service are valid and can establish an employment relationship.
The standard workday duration is eight hours, and the standard workweek duration is 48 hours. Any hours over 48 are considered overtime and must be paid accordingly. When prayer and lunchtime are included in work hours, the standard workday must not exceed 9 hours.
1 January - New Year's Day; 8 March - International Women’s Day; 12 March - Youth Day; TBD April - Good Friday; TBD April - Holy Saturday; 4 April – Easter; 5 April - Easter Monday; 1 May - Labour Day; 25 May - African Freedom Day; First Monday of July - Heroes’ Day; Tuesday following Heroes Day in July - Unity Day; First Monday in August - Farmers Day; 24 October - Independence Day; 25 October - Public Holiday; 25 December - Christmas Day.
Zambia's Employment Code Act provides for a probationary period of up to 3 months. The probationary period may be extended for a further period not exceeding 3 months.
If, during the probation period, the employer finds that the employee is not suitable for the job, the employer can terminate the contract by giving the employee at least 24 hours' notice. Employees under probation are not entitled to receive severance pay. If an employer is satisfied with an employee's performance, they must notify the employee in writing of the confirmation of employment.
A terminated employee is entitled to either notice of termination or compensation in lieu of notice (unless they are guilty of misconduct). The notice periods that must be observed are the following:
Notice to terminate a contract of employment of more than 6 months must be in writing. Employers must not give notice of termination while the employee is on leave.
According to the Employment Code Act of Zambia, severance benefits are paid as follows:
Casual, temporary employees and those under probation are not entitled to severance benefits. Employees who have been dismissed summarily for gross misconduct are not eligible for severance.
Current monthly basic minimum wage rates in Zambia range from ZMW 1,487.00 (Zambian kwachas) to ZMW 3,1428.90. The minimum wage for domestic workers is ZMW 1,300 per month. Categories of workers in different industries set minimum wages. The Minister of Labour prescribes wage rates through statutory orders upon the recommendation of the Labour Advisory Committee.
Work above the standard 48 hours per week (60 hours per week for watch-persons and guards) is considered overtime. Employees are paid at least 150% of their regular wage rate for overtime. Employees working on public holidays and weekly rest days are paid 200% of their regular wage rates.
Employees on annual leave are entitled to receive their regular wages during annual leave.
In Zambia, the following types of visas are available:
The Department of Immigration issues employment permits to foreign nationals who enter Zambia to take up employment for a period longer than 6 months. Permits can be extended for a further period or periods to a maximum of 10 years from the date of issue.
The holder of an employment permit must comply with the conditions specified in the permit and must not engage, for gain, in any activity, business, trade, employment, profession, study, or other action not specified in the permit. They cannot study or buy land in Zambia.
Population 21.3m
Population in total, including all residents regardless of legal status © 2024 - WBG • EUROSTAT
46.9%
Urban Population
33%
Internet access
72.7%
Banking access
100%
Mobile phone access
Population: The World Bank: World Development Indicators: World Bank Group • World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), uri: https://population.un.org/wpp/, publisher: UN Population Division; Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices, National Statistical Offices, uri: https://unstats.un.org/home/nso_sites/, publisher: National Statistical Offices; Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, Eurostat (ESTAT), uri: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database?node_code=earn_ses_monthly, publisher: Eurostat; Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), United Nations (UN), uri: https://unstats.un.org, publisher: UN Statistics Division
Urban Population: The World Bank: World Development Indicators: World Bank Group • World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), uri: https://population.un.org/wup/, publisher: UN Population Division
Internet access: The World Bank: World Development Indicators: World Bank Group • World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, ITU (ITU), uri: https://datahub.itu.int/
Banking access: The World Bank: World Development Indicators: World Bank Group • FINDEX, WBG (WB), uri: https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/globalfindex
Mobile phone access: The World Bank: World Development Indicators: World Bank Group • World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, ITU (ITU)
Workers employed for at least 12 consecutive months with the same employer are entitled to paid annual leave at the rate of 2 days for each month of service (24 calendar days for a year). The employer offers annual leave in addition to public holidays or weekly rest days.
Part-time employees are also entitled to paid leave in proportion to the number of hours they work (a full-time employee must work 95 hours in a month to be eligible for paid annual leave).
Workers are entitled to paid sick leave with proof in the form of a valid medical certificate as follows:
If an employee does not recover from the illness or injury after 6 months from the date of the illness or injury, their employer can terminate the employment contract on medical grounds by paying a lump sum of at least 3 months' basic pay for each completed year of service.
Under the law, workers are entitled to at least 14 weeks of fully paid maternity leave if they have worked with the same employer for at least 24 months. This leave can be taken immediately after delivery or preceding the expected delivery date, so at least 6 weeks' leave is taken after delivery. This leave is extended by 4 weeks in case of multiple births.
Employees must provide their employers with a written notice and a medical certificate to take maternity leave.
Employees cannot be employed for overtime or nighttime work 2 months before their expected delivery. Employers must provide a safe work environment for the employee and cannot dismiss or otherwise penalize an employee for taking maternity leave.
Male employees are entitled to at least 5 days of paid paternity leave upon their child's birth unless more favorable terms are agreed to in their employment contracts. Employees who have worked with the same employer for at least 12 consecutive months before taking leave are entitled to this benefit. The leave must be taken within 7 days of birth. Employees have to submit birth records to their employers.
The National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) pays retirement benefits. The retirement age is 60, though employees can avail themselves of early retirement at 55 and late retirement at 65. Those retiring early or late must inform their employers of their retirement at least 12 months in advance. Employees must have made 15 years of contributions to qualify for a retirement pension.
Persons who do not qualify for retirement pension are eligible to receive the total contributions made by them and their employer, plus the accrued interest as a lump sum.
Both employees and employers make contributions to social security.
Survivors benefits are paid to dependent family members (spouse and children under 18 years or disabled children of any age) of a deceased employee who received a retirement or invalidity pension or was entitled to receive such a pension.
Survivors receive the same amount of pension that the deceased employee received or was entitled to receive at the time of their death. The minimum pension is 20% of the National Average Earnings (currently ZMW 7,454.00). If the deceased person does not meet the criteria that qualify their survivors to receive a pension, the survivors will be eligible for a lump-sum payment equal to the contributions made by the deceased employee and their employer, plus accrued interest.
Employers are liable to pay survivors benefits to dependents of an employee who died because of an occupational accident, injury, or disease.
People under retirement age who are disabled due to a non-occupational accident/injury/disease are entitled to receive disability pension if they have paid 180 monthly contributions or at least 60 monthly contributions, of which 12 or more were paid in the 36 months immediately preceding the date at which the invalidity began. The amount of invalidity pension depends on the worker's average monthly wage and length of pensionable service.
Employees who do not satisfy the conditions for monthly contributions are eligible to receive the total contributions made by them and their employer, plus the accrued interest as a lump sum.
Employees who become disabled due to occupational accidents/injuries/diseases receive compensation from their employers. In the case of temporary disability, they receive a monthly pension for a maximum of 18 months. For permanent disability of more than 10%, they receive a monthly pension for their lifetime. Employees with less than 10% permanent disability receive a lump sum compensation.
Employers are not allowed to hire minors under 15 years of age unless authorized by a Labor Officer or if the young person is employed under an apprenticeship contract. Children between 13 and 15 years of age can be employed in light work that is not harmful to their physical and mental health.
Young people under 15 years of age cannot be employed in night work in an industrial undertaking.
Employers must keep a register with all young employees' names and ages and provide it upon request from a Labor, Police, or Assistant Officer.
Unemployment 6%
Share of the labor force that is unemployed, but available for and seeking employment © 2024 - WBG • ILO
59.4%
Labor force population share
46.1%
Female share of labor force
56%
Healthcare access
Unemployment: The World Bank: World Development Indicators: World Bank Group • ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), ILO (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: January 07, 2025.
Labor force (total): The World Bank: World Development Indicators: World Bank Group • ILO (ILO), type: estimates based on external database; United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division; Staff estimates, WBG (WB)
Labor force population share: The World Bank: World Development Indicators: World Bank Group • ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), ILO (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: January 07, 2025
Female share of labor force: The World Bank: World Development Indicators: World Bank Group • ILO (ILO), type: estimates based on external database; United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division; Staff estimates, WBG (WB)
Healthcare access: The World Bank: World Development Indicators: World Bank Group • GHO, WHO (WHO), uri: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/service-coverage
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