Dual-currency by design
Our engine runs PAYE, NSSA and remittances in USD and ZiG side by side — each currency in its own lane, one accountable contract.
Popay Payroll · Zimbabwe PopayPayroll
Payroll in Zimbabwe, built for USD & ZiG.
PAYE in both ZiG and USD, NSSA pension, ZIMDEF, the AIDS Levy, WCIF and NEC sector rules — configured to Zimbabwean law, not bolted on.
Dual-currency, done right. The engine that runs your payroll knows Zimbabwean law from the inside — ZIMRA PAYE in two currencies, NSSA, ZIMDEF, the AIDS Levy and the Labour Act, no shortcuts.
Talk to our African payroll team No commitment — a working conversation about your team in Zimbabwe.
ZW
ZW Harare · Southern Africa — payroll live in Zimbabwe today
Understand HR in Zimbabwe
Everything Zimbabwe payroll asks of an employer — in one place.
The full local picture for Zimbabwe: statutory contributions and the rules our engine runs natively — maintained by our Pan-African legislation team.
01 · At a glance
Zimbabwe payroll, by the numbers
The fixed parameters every Zimbabwe payroll run starts from.
Capital
Harare
Currencies
Dual: Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG / ZWG) and US Dollar (USD) — salaries are often split across both.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
English (business & administration). Zimbabwe's constitution recognises 16 official languages.
STATUTORY AUTHORITIES
ZIMRA — Zimbabwe Revenue Authority · Social security: NSSA — National Social Security Authority
INCOME TAX YEAR
1 January → 31 December (calendar year).
PAYROLL CYCLE
Monthly
MONTHLY STATUTORY DEADLINE
PAYE (P2 return) & NSSA by the 10th of the following month · ZIMDEF within 30 days of month-end · ITF16 Statement of Emoluments within 30 days after year-end
Minimum wage
No single national rate — minimum wages are set sector by sector through the National Employment Councils (NECs) and their collective bargaining agreements
Ordinary working week
8 hours/day, 40 hours/week (up to 10 hours/day depending on the role)
OVERTIME
Overtime at 1.5× the normal rate · work on public holidays at 2×
MINIMUM WORKING AGE/ RETIREMENT AGE
14 years / 60 years
MAIN LABOUR LAW
Labour Act [Chapter 28:01] (subject to industry-specific rules set by National Employment Councils)
02 · Statutory obligations & contributions
Social contributions in Zimbabwe
Statutory contributions declared by the employer, each scheme with its own rate,
| Contribution | Employer | Employee | Basis & notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSSA Pension (POBS) | 4.5% | 4.5% | Of insurable earnings, ceiling pegged at USD 700/month. |
| ZIMDEF Levy | 1% | 0% | Employer only, of gross monthly wage bill |
| WCIF — Workers' Compensation | variable | 0% | Employer only, by industry risk class (NSSA-administered) |
| Standards Development Fund (SDF) | 0.5% | 0% | Employer only, of gross monthly wage bill |
| AIDS Levy | 0% | 3% of PAYE | Borne by employee — 3% of PAYE tax payable |
03 · Income tax (PAYE)
An income tax on a dual-currency schedule
Zimbabwe taxes employment income progressively, from 0% to 40%, with a separate annual schedule for ZiG and USD income, plus a 3% AIDS Levy on the tax due.
Income in Zimbabwe Gold (ZWG / ZiG) — annual
- 0 – 33,600 ZWG
- 0% (tax-free)
- 33,601 – 100,800 ZWG
- 20% · deduct 6,720
- 100,801 – 336,000 ZWG
- 25% · deduct 11,760
- 336,001 – 672,000 ZWG
- 30% · deduct 28,560
- 672,001 – 1,008,000 ZWG
- 35% · deduct 62,160
- Above 1,008,000 ZWG
- 40% · deduct 112,560
Income in US Dollars (USD) — annual
- 0 – 1,200 USD
- 0% (tax-free)
- 1,201 – 3,600 USD
- 20% · deduct 240
- 3,601 – 12,000 USD
- 25% · deduct 420
- 12,001 – 24,000 USD
- 30% · deduct 1,020
- 24,001 – 36,000 USD
- 35% · deduct 2,220
- Above 36,000 USD
- 40% · deduct 4,020
How PAYE is applied
- AIDS Levy
- 3% added to the resulting tax
- Deduct column
- Cumulative tax-credit method ZIMRA uses within each band
- Dual currency
- Each portion taxed under its own table, then reported cumulatively on the same monthly P2 return
- Remittance
- Withheld and remitted to ZIMRA by the 10th of the following month
04 · Employment contracts
Contracts, notice and termination under the Labour Act
The Labour Act [Chapter 28:01] governs each contract type and scales notice to the contract's duration — classify the category and formalities correctly, and the rest of payroll follows smoothly.
Contract types & essentials
- Types
- Open-ended (no limit of time) · Fixed-term · Casual / seasonal
- Form
- Written or oral — written particulars are mandatory, so a written contract is strongly advised
- Probation Period
- Maximum 3 months (must be explicitly stated in writing)
Notice periods (scale with contract length)
- Open-ended or 2 years+
- 3 months
- 1 year to under 2 years
- 2 months
- 6 months to under 1 year
- 1 month
- 3 months to under 6 months
- 2 weeks
- Under 3 months / casual / seasonal
- 1 day
- No written contract
- Requires three months' notice
Termination & retrenchment
- Retrenchment / severance
- 1 month's salary per year of service (Statutory Instrument 191 of 2024). NEC collective bargaining agreements may provide more
- Pay in lieu of notice
- Due where the employer waives the notice period
- On termination
- Accrued salary, payment for unused annual leave, any severance/retrenchment package and pay in lieu where applicable
05 · Leave & employee rights
Leave entitlements in Zimbabwe
The law sets the floor; contracts and collective agreements can add to it. Below are the statutory minimums your accruals must track.
Annual Leave
30 days of paid leave per year after one year of continuous service. May be accumulated up to a maximum of 90 days.
Sick Leave
Up to 180 days per year. First 90 days on full pay, next 90 days on half pay, on production of a medical certificate from a registered practitioner.
Maternity Leave
98 days (≈14 weeks), fully paid. Open to any pregnant employee from day one of employment, with no restrictions on frequency.
Paternity Leave
No statutory paid paternity leave. Fathers may use special leave.
Special Leave
Up to 12 days per calendar year. For compassionate or pressing personal reasons (e.g. bereavement, a family event), within the statutory cap.
06 · Unions & NEC framework
Unions and the NEC framework
Sector wage scales and union dues feed straight into payroll through the National Employment Councils, whose collective agreements carry the force of law.
ZCTU
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions — the largest federation, with around 36 affiliated unions across most sectors. Its affiliates negotiate the majority of sector wage grades and dues stop orders.
ZFTU
Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions — the rival national centre. Adds its own sector affiliates; relevant where your sector union is ZFTU-aligned.
Apex Council
The public-service employee associations for civil servants. Negotiates public-sector pay and conditions directly with the government.
National Employment Councils (NECs)
40+ registered NECs, one per sector, govern collective bargaining under the Labour Act [Chapter 28:01]. Their agreements carry the force of law — setting minimum wages, grades, allowances, hours and overtime. Union dues are deducted by stop order and remitted; disputes go first to a labour officer or NEC-designated agent, then to the Labour Court.
Native Zimbabwe payroll — and one accountable partner.
We own the gross-to-net engine
Zimbabwe rules — ZIMRA tables, the AIDS Levy, NSSA ceilings, NEC grades — are configured natively inside our engine, not stitched from third-party aggregators.
Always current
The ZiG, quarterly-gazetted ceilings and PAYE tables move fast; we monitor the changes and update your configuration so every payslip stays compliant.
Meet your Popay expert for Zimbabwe.
In HR, personal contact is everything — and it starts from the first exchange. Tell us about your team in Zimbabwe and we'll map your options, plainly and without commitment.
Popay helped us simplify managing our workforce across Zimbabwe — payroll, contracts and compliance in one place. Reliable, efficient, and always current with local law.
Zimbabwe payroll, answered
Can Popay run PAYE in both ZiG and USD?
Yes. Since the ZiG launched in April 2024, many salaries are split across two currencies, and each portion is taxed using the applicable progressive ZIMRA tax table in its respective currency. Popay calculates each currency separately, applies the 3% AIDS Levy, and supports the reporting of the USD and ZiG liabilities on the same monthly P2 return.
Which statutory contributions does Popay handle in Zimbabwe?
NSSA pension (4.5% employer + 4.5% employee, capped at the USD 700 insurable-earnings ceiling), the 1% ZIMDEF levy on the gross wage bill, the 3% AIDS Levy, WCIF workplace-injury cover and the Standards Development Fund — all calculated by Popay in line with the applicable requirements, with statutory deadlines supported for accurate and timely compliance. PAYE and NSSA are generally due by the 10th, ZIMDEF within 30 days of month-end, and the annual ITF16 within 30 days after year-end.
Is your Zimbabwe payroll native, or run through a third party?
Native. Popay owns the gross-to-net engine, and Zimbabwean legislation — ZIMRA PAYE tables in both currencies, the NSSA ceiling, the AIDS Levy, Labour Act payslip rules and NEC grades — is configured inside it. There's one accountable system and one contract.
How do you keep up with the NSSA ceiling and PAYE tables?
Zimbabwe's framework moves fast — the NSSA insurable-earnings ceiling is pegged to USD 700 and gazetted quarterly, and PAYE tables and exchange rates shift on short notice. We monitor these changes and update your configuration so every payslip stays compliant.
Do you apply the right NEC agreement for our sector?
Yes. Zimbabwe has 40+ National Employment Councils, one per sector, whose collective bargaining agreements carry the force of law and set minimum wages, grades, allowances, hours and overtime. Popay maps the correct NEC agreement and grade to your payroll configuration and deducts and remits union dues by stop order.
Review your HR needs in Zimbabwe — in 30 minutes.
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