Annual Leave & Sick Leave in 54 African Countries: Country-by-Country Breakdown

by Grant Geraghty | Sep 1, 2025 | HR

Planning a business expansion in Africa?

Understanding the labour law – particularly where worker rights like annual and sick leave are concerned – can help you plan more effectively.

This kind of prevision falls under workforce planning as well as financial considerations, both crucial steps to a successful expansion in Africa.

In this article, our consultants share insights about annual and sick leave across 54 African countries.

Country	Statutory annual leave	Statutory sick leave
Algeria	Up to 30 days of paid annual leave accumulated over a period of 12 months	15 days’ paid sick leave at half salary; and full salary from the 16th day of sickness onwards.
Angola	22 days per year	30 days per year
Benin	Up to 24 days of paid leave per year.	· Employees with less than 2 years of service are generally entitled to 6 months’ sick leave. · Employees with 2+ years of service are generally entitled to 12 months’ sick leave. · Employees with 1-5 years’ service are generally entitled to three months at full pay and three months at half pay. · Employees with 5+ years of service are entitled to full pay for 6 months.
Botswana	Employees are generally entitled to 15 days of paid leave per year	Employees are generally entitled to 20 days of paid sick leave per year and must provide a doctor’s certificate.
Burkina Faso	Employees are generally entitled to 22 days of paid annual leave	Less than one year of service: 2 months of paid sick leave • First month: Full pay, Next month: Half pay One to five years of service: 4 months of paid sick leave • First month: Full pay, Next three months: Half pay Six to ten years of service: 5 months of paid sick leave • First two months: Full pay, Next three months: Half pay Eleven to fifteen years of service: 6 months of paid sick leave • First three months: Full pay, Next three months: Half pay More than fifteen years of service: 8 months of paid sick leave • First four months: Full pay, Next four months: Half pay
Burundi	20 days per year	Employees can take a maximum of 3 months of sick leave each year which is paid at 67% of the regular wage
Cape Verde	Every worker in an employment contract for a definite or indefinite period is entitled to 22 days of annual leave. For contracts of less than one year, the annual leave shall be proportional to the duration of the employment contract.	In Cape Verde, workers are entitled to 30 days of sick leave, but this must be justified by providing a medical certificate.
Cameroon	24 days minimum (increases based on the employee’s seniority)	6 months maximum
Central African Republic	A worker who has been employed for a minimum of 1 month of actual work, is entitled 2 working days’ leave per month of work, without the total duration of the leave due exceeding 30 working days.
Chad	Employees are generally entitled to 24 days of paid annual leave. Those with over 10 years of service are entitled to 26 days.	A worker is entitled to sick leave of 6 months’ duration on provision of a medical certificate from a licensed physician
Comoros	After 1 year of service, workers enjoy paid leave at a minimum rate of 2.5 calendar days of actual service. This minimum is set at 3 days for: · Young workers under the age of 18 · Mothers employed with children under the age of 15 · Workers with more than 15 years of service in the same company
Democratic Republic of the Congo	12 days for Employees over 18 years old (one working day per full month of service). 18 days for Employees under 18 years old (one and a half working days per full month of service). Annual Leave increases by 1 day for every 5 years of seniority with the same employer or the substitute employer.	10 days of paid sick leave for Employees with at least 6 months of seniority
Republic of the Congo	Employees are entitled to 26 working days of annual leave, which increases to 31 days after 5 years of service. Employees become entitled to this leave after 1 full year of service for the employer.	Employees have the right to take unpaid sick leave for a certified illness, as approved by a qualified physician, for a maximum duration of 6 months.
Côte d'Ivoire	2.2 days per month served. The annual leave duration is increased every 5 years of seniority in the company.	5 days
Djibouti	Employees are generally eligible for 30 days of paid annual leave.	An employee with a certified medical diagnosis shall maintain their salary for the following durations based on their tenure: · For less than 12 consecutive months of service: 50% of salary for 1 month · For more than 12 months but less than 5 consecutive years of service: 50% of salary for 3 months For more than 5 years of service: 50% of salary for 9 months.
Egypt	An employee with a certified medical diagnosis shall maintain their salary for the following durations based on their tenure: · For less than 12 consecutive months of service: 50% of salary for 1 month. · For more than 12 months but less than 5 consecutive years of service: 50% of salary for 3 months. · For more than 5 years of service: 50% of salary for 9 months.	A maximum of 180 days per year.
Equatorial Guinea	The worker has the right and obligation to enjoy 30 days of paid holiday for each year of uninterrupted work. After 10 years of work, the holiday period will increase at the rate of 1 day per every 2 years of service. The employer and the worker may agree on breaking up the authorised holidays recognised by this Law, to a maximum of 2 periods per year.	Workers, with prior notice and justification, may be absent from work for 3 days on Paid Leave in case of illness. After this period, the company shall cease to remunerate the worker, passing him/her on to Social Security.
Eritrea	Employees are entitled to annual leave with pay amounting to: · 14 working days for the first year of service · 14 working days plus 1 working day each additional year of service. Annual leave may not exceed 35 working days.	Not more than 6 months counted consecutively or separately over a period of 12 months starting from the first day of the employee’s sickness. Pay during sick leave is as follows: · 100% of wages on the first month · 50% of wages the next 2 months · The next 3 months without pay
Eswatini	12 days after 1 full year of continuous employment.	After 3 months continuous employment with the same employer, an employee is eligible for each year of employment with that employer, for a maximum of 14 days sick leave on full pay and a maximum of 14 days sick leave on half pay.
Ethiopia	Employees are entitled to 16 working days of paid annual leave upon completing one year of service. This will increase by 1 day for every additional 2 years’ service.	Employees are entitled to a maximum of 6 months of sick leave within 1 year of service.
Gabon	24 days per year	15 days minimum, and increases based on length of service.
Gambia	21 days per year	Employees have the right to accrue paid sick leave as outlined in the Joint Industrial Council Agreement, collective agreement, or specified in their employment contract, up to a maximum limit within any twelve-month period of employment.
Ghana	15 days for each full year of service	15 days for each full year of service
Guinea	Employees are entitled to paid leave at the employer's expense at a rate of two and a half working days per month of actual service.	Absences due to non-occupational illness or common law accidents are treated as periods of actual work under the conditions determined by collective agreement.
Guinea-Bissau		Non-occupational illnesses or temporary incapacities resulting from an accident that is neither a work-related accident nor a commuting accident normally only result in the suspension of the employment contract. However, the employer may dismiss a sick employee when the frequency or duration of the employee's absences, lasting six months or more, causes significant disruption to the operation of the business.
Kenya	21 days	7 days
Lesotho	12 days minimum per year	Once confirmed, an employee is entitled to sick leave with full pay for up to 12 days and to sick leave on half pay for up to 24 days in each period of 12 months of continuous employment.
Liberia	Each employee has the right to a minimum consecutive period of yearly leave according to the following schedule: · In the initial year of employment with an employer, 1 week of annual leave. · In the first 2 years of service with an employer, two weeks of annual leave. · In the initial 3 years of service with an employer, three weeks of annual leave. · In the initial 5 years of service with an employer; for subsequent years, four weeks of annual leave.	10 days per year
Libya	The annual leave shall be 30 days per year and 45 per year for workers who reach the age of 50 or whose service period has exceeded 20 years.	The worker or employee shall be entitled to paid sick leave for a maximum period of 45 consecutive days or 60 intermittent days each year. The sick leave shall be granted on the basis of a medical report from an accredited doctor.
Madagascar	Unless more favourable provisions are included in collective agreements or individual employment contracts, workers are entitled to paid leave at the employer's expense, at a rate of 2.5 calendar days per month of actual service.	The contract is suspended for the duration of the worker's absence in the event of illness duly certified by a licensed physician, limited to six months; this period is extended until the worker is replaced.
Malawi	15 days per year for an employee working a 5-day week, 18 days per year for an employee working a 6-day week.	Permanent employees are entitled to a maximum of 90 days sick leave with half pay
Mali	30 days of annual leave on full pay after 12 consecutive months of service	Employees are granted sick leave upon presentation of a medical certificate. Until a health insurance scheme is implemented as per the Social Security Code, Labour Code regulations apply. During sick leave, employees receive: Full earnings for the first year of employment, lasting 8 days to 3 months based on collective agreements or job type. Half earnings for an additional month from the second year of employment onward.
Mauritania	Workers are entitled to: · 1.5 working days of leave per month of actual service if they are at least 18 years old · 2 working days of leave per month of actual service if they are under 18 years old · 3 working days of leave per month of actual service if they are workers who do not have their usual place of residence in Mauritania.
Mauritius	Employees are entitled to a minimum of 20 days (as well as 2 additional days)	Employees are generally entitled to 15 days of paid sick leave per year
Morocco	Every employee is entitled, after 6 months of continuous service in the same company or with the same employer, to an annual paid leave, the duration of which is fixed as follows: · 1.5 days of paid leave per month of service; · 2 days of paid leave per month of service for employees under the age of 18.	Any employee who cannot go to work because of illness or accident must provide proof of this and notify the employer within 48 hours, except in cases of force majeure. If the absence lasts more than 4 days, the employee must inform the employer of the probable duration of their absence and provide the employer, except in the event of incapacity, with a medical certificate justifying his absence. The employer may arrange for a counter-visit of the employee by a doctor of his choice and at his own expense during the period of absence determined by the medical certificate produced by the employee.
Mozambique	Typically, employees are granted the following entitlements based on their years of service: · During the first year of employment, 1 day of paid leave per month is provided · From the second year onward, employees are eligible for 30 days of paid leave annually	In general, employees typically have access to 15 days of sick leave, allowing for up to 5 non-consecutive days per quarter. If additional time is required, the employee must consult the health board. Social security covers up to 365 days of continuous sick leave for non-occupational illnesses or accidents.
Namibia	According to the country's Labour Act, an employee is entitled to 24 consecutive days of annual leave with full remuneration.	5-day per week employees are entitled to 30 working days of sick leave and 6-day per week employees are entitled to 36 working days of sick leave.
Niger	Employees are generally entitled to 30 days of paid annual leave.	The Labour Code provides for paid sick leave. The maximum duration of sick leave is 6 months. Monthly income during sick leave depends on the length of time worked with an employer: · 1 year or less: full income for a period equal to the notice period; half income for the following month · 2-5 years: full income for a period equal to the notice period (minimum 1 month); half income for the next 3 months. · Over 5 years: full income for a period equal to the notice period (minimum 2 months); half income for the next 4 months
Nigeria	6 days	12 days
Rwanda	18 days per year. Annual leave also increases with the length of service.	15 days of paid sick leave upon presentation of a medical certificate. In the event sick leave exceeds 15 days which can last up to 6 months, a medical certificate must be presented.
Sao Tome and Principe	The annual vacation period lasts for a minimum of 22 working days
Senegal	Employees are entitled to 24 days of paid annual leave	· For less than 12 months of service: 1 month with full pay, 3 months with half pay. · For more than 12 months but less than 5 years of service: 1 month with full pay, 4 months with half pay. · For more than 5 years of service: 2 months with full pay, 5 months with half pay
Sierra Leone	In general, employees are entitled to the following paid annual leave: · 1 to 5 years of employment: 19 days of leave · 5 to 10 years of employment: 22 days of leave · 10+ years of employment: 28 days of leave	Once confirmed, an employee is entitled to sick leave with full pay for up to 12 days and sick leave on half pay for up to 24 days in each 12-month period of continuous employment.
Somalia	Workers shall be entitled to 15 days’ leave with pay for every year of continuous service. An entitlement to leave with pay shall normally be acquired after a full year of continuous service.
South Africa	15 days	36 days every 36 months
Sudan	After 1 year of continuous employment, workers are entitled to: · 20 days if a worker has been continuously employed by his employer for a period of one to three years · 25 days if a worker has spent 8 years or less than 15 years of continuous service with his employer · 30 days if a worker has spent 15 or more years of continuous service with his employer.	First 3 months of absence: Full pay Next 3 months: Half pay Following 3 months: 25% of pay Additional conditions: The worker can only get this sick leave after using up their regular leave. If the illness continues beyond these 9 months, the worker won't be paid and will be on unpaid sick leave. A medical committee must examine the worker in a reasonable time to decide if they can return to work.
Tanzania	28 days (after completion of at least 6 months of employment)	126 days in a leave cycle of 36 months (divided into 2 parts: 63 days with full pay and 63 days with half pay)
Togo	Employees are entitled to 30 days of annual leave, accruing at a rate of 2.5 days per month.	According to the Labour Code, a worker is entitled to sick leave for 5 days a year.
Tunisia	1 day of annual leave per month. After 1 year of service, they will accumulate 12 vacation days.	To qualify for sickness benefits, an employee needs a minimum of 50 days of covered employment in the preceding two quarters or 80 days in the last four quarters prior to the onset of sickness. The eligible employee is entitled to receive 66.7% of their daily average earnings for a duration of 180 days, commencing after a five-day waiting period.
Uganda	21 days for each full year of service	The Employee shall be granted sick leave up to 1 month on full salary and if at the end of the second month the sickness of the employee continues, the Client is entitled to terminate the contract of service on complying with all the terms of this contract of service up to the time of termination of employment. Sick pay will be governed by Section 55 of the Uganda Employment Act (2006).
Zambia	Full-time employees are entitled to at least 2 of annual leave per month of employment. The annual leave total includes 24 calendar days.	A short-term contract employee receives full compensation for the first 26 working days of sick leave, followed by half pay (50%) for the next 26 working days of sick leave.
Zimbabwe	An employee can start accruing leave days after having worked for an employer for 1 year or more. For each year served, an employee is given 1 month (22 working days) of leave.	Up to 6 months, with medical certification

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