Minimum wage Africa: 2026 SMIG table by country

There is no single minimum wage Africa figure: each country sets its own SMIG (salaire minimum interprofessionnel garanti, the guaranteed minimum wage) by decree, in its own currency and its own unit (hour, day or month). In 2026 the monthly SMIG is 75,000 FCFA in Ivory Coast, 64,223 FCFA in Senegal, 60,000 FCFA in Cameroon (outside agriculture), 52,500 FCFA in Togo, 52,000 FCFA in Benin, 3,422.72 DH in Morocco and 559,000 CDF in the DRC. The table below gives, for each country, the monthly and hourly amount, the effective date, the legal text and a link to our detailed country guide. This article is up to date as of 3 November 2026.

In brief

• Among these countries, the highest 2026 SMIG in the CFA franc zone is Ivory Coast’s (75,000 FCFA), ahead of Senegal (64,223 FCFA).
• Morocco is the only country in the table to raise its rate in 2026: 17.92 DH per hour since 1 January 2026.
• Since the January 2026 payroll, the DRC applies a daily rate of 21,500 CDF, whose implementation is still being discussed with employers.
• The SMIG is a gross amount: at the minimum, net pay ranges from about 84% to 96% of gross depending on the country.

Minimum wage Africa 2026: table by country

Amounts marked “calculated” are equivalents: the legal text only sets an hourly rate (Senegal, Morocco), a daily rate (DRC) or a monthly amount (Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Benin, Togo). No more recent increase decree had been found for these countries as of 3 November 2026. For Gabon, public sources contradict each other on what is the SMIG and what is the minimum monthly income: we do not publish an amount until the text has been checked.

What is the SMIG?

The SMIG, salaire minimum interprofessionnel garanti, is the pay below which no employee may be paid for a given working time. It binds every private-sector employer, whatever the collective agreement, the size of the company or the employee’s nationality. A contract clause or agreement providing for less is void: in Morocco, article 360 of the Labour Code says so expressly, and the Congolese Labour Code sets the same rule in article 88.

Who sets the minimum wage in French-speaking Africa

In every country in the table, the amount is set by a regulatory text after consulting the social partners:

• Senegal: decree, with grade minimums set by collective agreements or, failing that, by ministerial order (article 195 of the 2026 Labour Code).
• Ivory Coast: decree after the opinion of the Labour Advisory Commission, with negotiations every three years (article 31.8).
• Cameroon: decree after the opinion of the National Labour Advisory Commission (article 62).
• Morocco: regulation after consulting the social partners (article 356).
• Benin: decree adopted in the Council of Ministers, reviewed every three years or when needed (article 210).
• DRC: decree, any lower clause being void (articles 87 and 88).

None of these countries indexes the minimum wage automatically: the SMIG only moves when a new text is published. This is why the same amount can remain in force for years, as in Senegal since July 2023 or Ivory Coast since January 2023.

Minimum wage Africa: West Africa and Central Africa

Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin and Togo use the WAEMU (UEMOA) CFA franc (XOF), Cameroon the CEMAC CFA franc (XAF). Both CFA francs share the same fixed parity with the euro (655.957 FCFA to €1), so their amounts are directly comparable. In West Africa, the minimum wage ranges from 52,000 FCFA in Benin to 75,000 FCFA in Ivory Coast, a gap of almost 45%. In Central Africa, Cameroon stands out with three amounts depending on the sector. Morocco (dirham) and the DRC (Congolese franc) follow their own currencies.

SMIG, SMAG and SMIC: what is the difference?

The SMAG applies in agriculture, where working time is counted differently. In Senegal it is 236.865 FCFA per hour; in Morocco, 97.44 DH per day since 1 April 2026. In Cameroon, the 2023 decree sets a minimum of 45,000 FCFA for agriculture and related sectors. In Ivory Coast, the Code provides for a SMAG set by decree, separate from the SMIG. Benin’s 2022 decree has no separate agricultural amount.

The SMIC is France’s minimum wage. Many people search for “SMIC Senegal” or “SMIC Morocco” by analogy: what they mean is the local SMIG, and that is the amount that applies on the payslip.

Reading the 2026 SMIG: per hour, day or month

The unit used in the text changes the calculation. Three cases arise in the minimum wage Africa landscape:

• Hourly rate (Senegal, Morocco): the monthly figure is obtained by multiplying by the reference hours. In Senegal, 370.526 × 173.33 hours = 64,223 FCFA. In Morocco, 17.92 × 191 hours = 3,422.72 DH, as the Moroccan monthly reference is 191 hours.
• Daily rate (DRC): the decree multiplies by 6 for the week, 26 for the month and 312 for the year, i.e. 559,000 CDF a month for an ordinary labourer.
• Monthly amount (Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Benin, Togo): to check part-time or daily workers, convert it to an hourly rate over 173.33 hours (40 hours a week).

Because the SMIG is an hourly or daily floor, a part-time employee may earn less than the monthly amount, provided the hourly rate respects the minimum. Conversely, a monthly salary at the SMIG for hours above the statutory working time means overtime must be paid.

Minimum wage Africa: from gross SMIG to net SMIG

The SMIG is a gross amount. Employee contributions and, where applicable, income tax on salaries are then deducted. In most countries the tax is nil at the minimum wage, but this is not a general rule.

These net figures are illustrations calculated in our country guides from verified 2026 rates; they vary with family situation (CMU in Ivory Coast, dependants in the DRC) and with the IPM rate in Senegal. The DRC shows that a minimum wage can be taxed: the IPR applies from the first franc. To go from any gross salary to net, follow the step-by-step method in our guides to net salary calculation in Senegal or net salary calculation in Ivory Coast, or use our free gross-to-net payroll simulators.

Minimum wage Africa: employer cost of an employee at the SMIG

For the company, the SMIG is only the starting point: employer contributions (pension, family benefits, work injury) and, in some countries, payroll taxes come on top.

At the SMIG, the employer surcharge therefore ranges from about 15% in Cameroon to more than 20% in Morocco, Senegal and Benin. Rates by body are detailed in our guide to social security contributions in Africa. Note also that in Senegal and Ivory Coast the social security base cannot be lower than the SMIG, even for part-time work declared too low. In the DRC, the 2018 CNSS decree sets the same rule.

What the minimum wage in Africa changes for payroll

The SMIG does not only set the lowest salary. Several payroll parameters depend on it:

• Grade minimums in collective agreements, which must stay above the SMIG: an increase can flatten the bottom of the pay scale.
• Ceilings and floors: in Ivory Coast, the CNPS pension ceiling is 45 times the SMIG, i.e. 3,375,000 FCFA a month.
• Allowances and indemnities: in Morocco, the reference salary for severance pay cannot be lower than the SMIG; in Senegal, the night meal allowance of the interprofessional collective agreement is expressed as a multiple of the SMIG.
• Family allowances: in the DRC, minimum family allowances are set as a fraction of the SMIG.
• Penalties: in Cameroon, breaching the SMIG decree carries a fine of 100,000 to 1,000,000 FCFA; in Morocco, 300 to 500 DH per employee concerned.

In a group operating in several countries, these parameters change on different dates: Morocco raised its SMIG on 1 January 2026 and its SMAG on 1 April 2026, while the DRC moved to its new level with the January 2026 payroll. Payroll software for Africa must let you date each value and recalculate minimums without re-entering data.

Minimum wage Africa: increases to watch

• Cameroon: on 1 May 2026 the Minister of Labour announced an increase of the SMIG in the coming years, with no amount or timetable.
• DRC: in January 2026 the Prime Minister ordered the 2025 decree to be applied, while the Fédération des entreprises du Congo (the employers’ federation) is calling for gradual implementation.
• Benin: in July 2026 the government confirmed the 52,000 FCFA amount and mentioned a review in three to five years.
• Morocco: the 2026 increase is the last instalment of the April 2024 social agreement.

Until a new text is published, the amounts in this minimum wage Africa table remain the ones to apply.

Minimum wage Africa 2026: frequently asked questions

What is the 2026 minimum wage in Senegal?

370.526 FCFA gross per hour, i.e. 64,223 FCFA a month on a 40-hour week, since 1 July 2023. The SMAG is 236.865 FCFA per hour.

What is the 2026 minimum wage in Ivory Coast?

75,000 FCFA gross a month since 1 January 2023, i.e. 69,775 FCFA net for a single employee.

What is the minimum wage in Morocco in 2026?

17.92 DH per hour since 1 January 2026, i.e. 3,422.72 DH gross and 3,192.03 DH net a month over 191 hours.

Which French-speaking African country has the highest minimum wage?

In our minimum wage Africa table, among the CFA franc countries, Ivory Coast, with 75,000 FCFA. Comparing with Morocco or the DRC requires a currency conversion that changes every day.

Is the SMIG gross or net?

Gross, in every country in the table. Net pay is obtained after employee contributions and, where applicable, salary tax.

Is there a common minimum wage Africa rate?

No. Neither WAEMU, CEMAC nor OHADA sets a common minimum wage: each State sets it by its own text.

Does the SMIG apply to interns and part-time employees?

Part-time employees are paid pro rata, at least at the minimum hourly rate. Internships are governed by each country’s Labour Code: check the relevant country guide.

What does an employer risk by paying below the SMIG?

Back pay and back contributions, plus a criminal fine: 100,000 to 1,000,000 FCFA in Cameroon, 14,000 to 70,000 FCFA per offence in Benin, 300 to 500 DH per employee in Morocco.

Minimum wage Africa: key takeaways

• Each country has its own SMIG, set by decree or order, in its own currency and unit.
• In 2026, only Morocco (1 January) and the DRC (January payroll) changed their amount among the countries in the table.
• The SMIG is gross: net pay at the minimum ranges from about 84% to 96% of gross, and employer cost adds 15% to more than 20%.
• The SMIG drives pay scales, ceilings and indemnities: every increase ripples through the whole payroll.

Socium builds each country’s SMIG, ceilings and tax scales into its HR and payroll software in Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Morocco and the DRC. Sources: CLEISS, Morocco Official Bulletin n° 7469, Cameroon decree n° 2023/00338/PM, Financial Afrik for Togo. To see your multi-country payroll configured, book a demo.

For the wider picture, see our guides to net salary calculation and payslip.