10 African countries with the highest minimum wage (2024)

Africa is the second largest continent in the world, in terms of size and population. The continent is nonetheless, classified as the poorest continent in the world. 

Nonetheless, the African labour market possesses some of the cheapest labour in the world; this occurrence has seen an influx of businesses opening their African branches to serve the continent and neighbouring countries.

This article lists Africa’s best-paying countries where one can make stronger incomes through increased minimum wages offered by the nation.

Countries with the highest minimum wage in Africa

Rank	Country	Minimum wage (monthly) USD
1.	Seychelles	$432
2.	Libya	$322
3.	Morocco	$281
4.	Gabon	$256
5.	South Africa	$242
6.	Mauritius	$240
7.	Equatorial Guinea	$200
8.	Congo	$154
9.	Algeria	$151
10.	Kenya	$140

1. Seychelles

Minimum wage: $432

Seychelles is an island nation off the coast of east Africa. The country is a tourist haven on the African continent and is made up of less than 500,000 people. Seychelles doubles as Africa’s most developed country and the richest country from the GDP per capita. 

The country is surrounded by corals and the Indian Ocean, its capital is Victoria. Seychelles labour laws provide for a total work time of 8 hours starting from 9 am to 5 pm, with overtime payments gained from excess work hours. The predominant employer of citizens is tourism and agriculture taking below 10% of the country’s labour force as second place.

2. Libya

Minimum wage: $322

Libya recently came out of a civil war that saw the nation’s over 40-year leader Gaddafi overthrown from power. Nonetheless, the North African nation maintains a stable economy and is the continent’s second highest-paying country. 

The Libyan labour industry has some of the most stable laws guiding labourers’ earnings on the entire African continent, the law provides for an eight-hour-a-day work life. Nonetheless, the industry has been claimed to be largely discriminatory offering secluded treatments to citizens and other Africans, with some drawing some racial concerns. The country has its capital Tripoli. 

3. Morocco

Minimum wage: $281

The Kingdom of Morocco is another North African country on the list with a minimum wage of over 200 dollars. The country’s labour industry has been an encouragement to many African nations with some parts of Europe, including Spain and Greece, migrating to the north African country for work. 

Morocco’s biggest employment sector is agriculture, the country also has a significant presence in manufacturing, tourism, mining and others. The capital of Morocco is Rabat, and its largest city is Casablanca. In 2018, Morocco was announced as the most visited country in Africa beating South Africa, Kenya, Egypt and others to cliche the position.

4. Gabon

Minimum wage: $256

Gabon is the first Central African country on the list with a minimum wage of over 200 dollars. Gabon doubles as one of the richest countries in Africa with petroleum accounting for over 80% of government revenue. 

Gabon has a sufficiently standard labour industry, nonetheless, a majority of the laws on labour in the country are either not enforced or are ignored by employers. This has seen complaints from labourers working longer hours and even earning less than minimum wage. 

The Gabonese capital is Libreville, with agriculture being the country’s biggest employer.

5. South Africa

Minimum wage: $242

South Africa is the fifth highest-paying nation on the African continent. The country has a minimum wage of $242; South Africa also doubles as the continent’s most economically developed country, the second largest economy, and one of the richest countries on the continent.

South Africa has transformed its labour laws since the apartheid era with free trade and an eventual open economy for all South Africans. The country has continued to maintain a standard labour industry with laws similar to that in advanced countries. The highest employer of labour in South Africa is mining, agriculture and services. 

6. Mauritius

Minimum wage: $240

Mauritius is yet another Island nation off the coast of east Africa on the list. The nation is one of Africa’s strongest financial centres and is the biggest and only financial centre out of mainland Africa. 

Mauritius has a very flexible labour sector with increased, with increased concentration on finance, tourism ad other service-related sectors. The country has a population of over one million people with Port Louis being its capital and largest city.

Mauritius is currently home to some of the biggest financial service providers on the African continent.

7. Equatorial Guinea

Minimum wage: $200

Equatorial Guinea is a Central African nation with large petroleum reserves. Petroleum makes a significant contribution to government revenue. With increased concentration by the government on diversifying the country’s economy, agriculture and services have become the country’s biggest employing sectors. 

Nonetheless, the labour laws in Equatorial Guinea are somewhat dictatorial, with the absence of labour unions, strikes made illegal and the compulsory work-for-pay regime. Employees in Equatorial Guinea only have the option of reporting their employment grievances to form employers, including the government, to the Ministry of labour. The country’s capital is Malabo and has a population of over a million people.

8. Congo

Minimum wage: $154

The Congo is the 8th highest-paying country in Africa. The country is filled with tons of natural resources and has a stable financial sector. The biggest employer of labour in the Congo is agriculture, with services and mining taking strong positions. 

The country has a vibrant labour force hence the attraction of several companies in the country. The Congo’s capital is Brazzaville.

9. Algeria

Minimum wage: $151

Algeria is a petroleum-producing nation and is the largest nation in Africa by land mass. The country has a strong labour protection law, which offers citizens rights to leave, payment of salaries and other protections. 

Algeria has made considerable success in its labour relations over the years and has a stable economic atmosphere attracting thousands of workers from across North Africa and Asia.

10. Kenya

Minimum wage: $140

The East African nation is the largest economy in East Africa and also stands as one of Africa’s strongest financial centres. Kenya has a stable labour industry with some of the most skilled labour force when it comes to service offerings. 

The Kenyan economy is the 3rd largest in Sub-Saharan Africa and is one of the richest nations in Africa by GDP per capita. Its capital, Nairobi, is one of Africa’s strongest financial cities and the biggest financial centre in East Africa.

Conclusion

The African continent has been faced with numerous challenges over the years, some of which relate to its financial standing in the committee of nations. Nonetheless, some nations stand out in offering the best minimum wage for the continuous improvement of their citizens’ lives.