Basic Facts

Tanzania officially the United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north, Kenya to the northeast, the Comoro Islands and the Indian Ocean to the east, Mozambique and Malawi to the south, Zambia to the southwest, and Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Tanzania is mountainous and densely forested in the northeast, where Mount Kilimanjaro is located. Three of Africa’s Great Lakes are partly within Tanzania. At 947,303 square kilometers, Tanzania is the 13th largest country in Africa and the 31st largest in the world. 

*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Tanzania. 

Capital :
Dodoma
Currency :
Tanzanian shilling (TZS, TSh)
Languages spoken :
Swahili and English
Population :
61.49 million (2021 est.)
Minimum wage 2023 :
Varies across industries
Cost of Living index :
$ (114 of 139 nations)
Payroll Frequency :
Monthly
VAT - standard rate :
18%
GDP - real growth rate :
4.3% (2021 est.)

Statutory Holidays

The holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2024.

Date
Holiday Name
Extra Information
January 1
New Year's Day
January 12
Zanzibar Revolution Day
March 29
Good Friday
Movable
April 1
Easter Monday
Movable
April 7
Karume Day
April 10-11
Eid al-Fitr
Movable
April 26
Union Day
May 1
Labor Day
June 16
Eid al-Adha
Movable
July 7
Saba Saba Day
August 8
Nane Nane Day
Movable
September 15
Maulid Day
Movable
October 14
Nyerere Day
December 9
Independence Day
December 25
Christmas Day
December 26
Christmas Day (Boxing Day)

Contract Sharing Time


The approximate time for sharing the contract with an employee in Tanzania is 14 business days assuming no special requests or changes to our standard employment contract. Any such requests or changes would need to undergo internal and external review, directly leading to a time delay.

NOTE: This number is subject to change and is only an estimation of the Contract Sharing Time. The estimated Contract Sharing Time begins from the moment that WorkMotion has received all required information from both the client and the employee.

What You Need To Know


  • The minimum wage in Tanzania depends on the specific sector an employee works in, from TSh 512.85 per hour in small companies in Private Security Services to TSh 2,051.45 per hour in financial institutions and international companies in energy services.
  • There is no statutory regulation of the probation period.
  • The employer should explain the written details of the contract if an employee does not understand the written particulars.

 

Labor Conditions


Working Hours

The maximum number of ordinary days or hours that an employee may be permitted or required to work are:

  • Six days in any week;
  • 45 hours in any week;
  • Nine hours on any day.
Overtime

Overtime work should not exceed 50 hours in any four-week cycle. Employees should be paid at least one and a half times the basic wage for any overtime worked.

Probation Period

There is no statutory regulation of the probation period.

Termination Notice Period
Condition Length of Notice
If a contract is terminated within the first month of employment 7 days
If the employee is employed on a daily or weekly basis 4 days
If the employee is employed on a monthly basis 28 days

Leave / Time Off

Annual Leave

An employer should grant an employee at least 28 consecutive days of leave in respect of each leave cycle, and such leave should be inclusive of any public holiday that may fall within the period of leave.

The employer must pay the employee the remuneration that the employee would have received if they had worked prior to the start of the leave period.

Sick Leave

An employee is entitled to at least 126 days of sick leave in any leave cycle. The sick leave is paid by the employer.

The sick leave should be calculated as follows:

  • The first 63 days should be paid full wages;
  • The second 63 days should be paid half wages.

Parental Leave

Maternity Leave

An employee is entitled, within any leave cycle, to at least:

  • 84 days of paid maternity leave;
  • 100 days of paid maternity leave if the employee gives birth to more than one child at the same time.

An employee is entitled to an additional 84 days of paid maternity leave within the leave cycle if the child dies within a year of birth.

The maternity leave is awarded full pay, from the employer.

Paternity Leave

During any leave cycle, an employee is entitled to:

  • At least three days of paid paternity leave if:
    • The leave is taken within seven days of the birth of a child; 
    • The employee is the father of the child.

Before granting paternity leave pay, an employer may require reasonable proof of the event.

Other Types of Paid Leave

Family Leave

During any leave cycle, an employee is entitled to:

  • At least four days of paid leave for any of the following reasons:
    • The sickness or death of the employee’s child;
    • The death of the employee’s spouse, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling.
Leave for Trade Union Activities

The employer should grant reasonable paid leave to:

  • Trade union representatives to attend training courses relevant to their functions;
  • Office bearers of:
    • A registered trade union, to perform the functions of their office;
    • A registered federation, to which the representative union belongs, to perform the functions of their office.

Statutory Benefits

The National Social Security Fund employee benefits include:

  • Social Health Insurance
  • Unemployment Benefits
  • Old-Age Pension
  • Survivors’ Pension
  • Invalidity Pension
  • Maternity Benefits
  • Funeral Grant

The employer contributes 11% to social security.

The National Social Security Fund was established to provide social security services to members of the private and informal sectors. The Social Security deductions for private-sector employees are detailed as follows:

Benefit Employer Employee
Accident Insurance 1%
National Social Security Fund (NSSF) 10% 10%
Total 11% 10%

Health Insurance

Social Health Insurance is a part of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Both the employer and the employee contribute 10% each.  

These benefits are given to the member and their dependents who are husband or wife and up to four children under the age of 18 or 21 if they are in school.

Required Qualifications:

  • The member must have contributed at least three consecutive months of contributions to obtain medical care;
  • Deduction of 6% of pension for retirees who want to get medical services after retirement.

Other Types of Insurances

Accident Insurance

The employer contributes 1% to the accident insurance.

Employees must be assessed for a work injury or an occupational disease by a recognized medical practitioner. Accidents that occur while commuting to and from work are covered.

Unemployment Insurance

The Unemployment Insurance is a part of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Both the employer and the employee contribute 10% each.  

Public Pension

The Public Pension is a part of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Both the employer and the employee contribute 10% each. 

A retirement pension is payable to an insured person who:

  • Has attained pensionable age (60 years old);
  • Have paid at least 180 monthly contributions;
  • Who has attained the age of 55 or above before attaining pensionable age.

Benefit Payable

  • Commuted pension (Initial Lump sum) paid immediately before starting pension which is equal to 25% of calculated annual pension times 12.5;
  • Old age special lump sum for non qualifying members;
  • The minimum pension is 40% of the lowest statutory minimum wage;
  • The maximum pension is 72.5% of the Annual Pensionable Emoluments.

Other Statutory Benefits

Maternity Benefits

Maternity Benefits are a part of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Both the employer and the employee contribute 10% each. 

The purpose of maternity benefit is to ensure that a female Insured Person can sustain and care for herself and the newly born child during a specified period before and after confinement.

Funeral Grant

A funeral Grant is paid by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) as a reimbursement to a family member who has incurred the burial expenses of the deceased National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Insured Person.

Qualifying Conditions:

  • The deceased must be an active insured person;
  • The deceased member must have made at least one contribution to the Fund;
  • Burial expenses must have been incurred for the Insured Person;
  • The claim must be made within 60 days from the date of death.

Reimbursement in respect of funeral costs is based on actual costs incurred but does not exceed the ceiling set by the Board of Trustees from time to time.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this Country Guide is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. The contents of this Country Guide contain general information and may not reflect current legal developments or address your situation. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this Country Guide without seeking the advice or representation of a licensed attorney. WorkMotion Software GmbH disclaims all liability for actions you take or fail to take based on any content included in this Country Guide.

Information provided in this Country Guide is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including without limitation warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. WorkMotion Software GmbH periodically adds, changes, improves, updates, or removes information without notice, and assumes no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in the contents of this Country Guide. This Country Guide may contain links to other websites. WorkMotion Software GmbH disclaims all liability for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.