by Sidnee Michelle
June 27, 2026
The wage increase, approved by Zimbabwe’s Cabinet on June 16, 2026, raises the previous minimum of $85 to $90 per month
Zimbabwe has increased the monthly minimum wage for domestic workers to $90, or about 2,600 Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), as the government responds to mounting cost-of-living pressures and calls for improved labor protectionsBusiness Insider Africa reports.
The wage increase, approved by Zimbabwe’s Cabinet on June 16, raises the previous minimum of $85 per month and took effect immediately, according to a briefing from the Ministry of InformationPublicity and Broadcasting Services.
The revised wage structure follows recommendations from the Tripartite Negotiating Forum and a review conducted under Section 19 of Zimbabwe’s Labour Act, according to Business Insider Africa.
Under the new framework, gardeners and yard workers will earn a minimum of $90 per month. Housekeepers and cooks will receive at least $99 per month, while child minders and caregivers for older adults and people with disabilities will earn $108 per month. Certified caregivers with Red Cross qualifications will receive a minimum of $117 per month.
“Cabinet approved the review of minimum wages and related conditions of employment for domestic workers and workers in unclassified operations,” the government said in a statement.
The government also increased the minimum wage for workers in sectors not covered by Zimbabwe’s National Employment Councils to $270 per month, payable in local currency at the prevailing exchange rate. Labor groups said the increase falls short of what workers need to meet rising living costs.
“This amount is still inadequate and does not reflect the true value of domestic work,” Zimbabwe Domestic and Allied Workers Union Deputy General Secretary Toindepi Dhure told local media.
Zimbabwe’s new wage floor remains well below earnings for domestic workers in neighboring South Africa, where the national minimum wage rose to 30.23 rand, or about $1.68, per hour as of March 2026. A full-time worker earning South Africa’s minimum wage would make roughly 5,200 rand, or about $289 per month.
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