Parental Leave in Africa: A Guide Across 50+ African countries
The ILO (International Labour Organisation), a UN agency, recommends parental leave for both mothers and fathers, with women being given more leave than men to prepare for and recover from childbearing. In recent years, parental leave has become more widespread, with extensive parental leave in Nordic countries making headlines. Naturally, maternity and paternity leave vary from country to country.
So how do African countries fare? And what are your obligations and responsibilities as an employer?
What is parental leave?
Parental leave is paid or unpaid leave that would-be parents are entitled to, both before and after the birth of their child. Since women are principally concerned with childbearing, it follows that they are generally entitled to significantly more off days than men. Paternity leave, on the other hand, has only become normalized recently. Even so, a considerable number of African countries such as Ghana and Sudan do not have mandatory paternity leave to this day.
Mandatory parental leave may be fully paid, partly paid, or unpaid in some cases. In Nigeria for instance, maternity and paternity pay, both amount to 50% of an employee’s salary. In Mozambique or Cameroon, on the other hand, both parents are entitled to 100% of their salary during their parental leave.
Regional differences
Additionally, and adding another layer of complexity to the subject, there may even be regional twists to legislation concerning parental leave. In Nigeria for instance, fathers are allowed two weeks of paid leave when they are in Lagos. However, Nigerian fathers in the city of Enugu enjoy up to three weeks of paternity leave.
So, as with most laws, there is a highly local component to parental leave – and knowledge of the law in one part of the country may not equal knowledge of the law in another, as one may mistakenly believe. This example perfectly illustrates the importance of knowing all the intricacies of labour law. Therefore, it is crucial for businesses to have a knowledgeable partner by their side.
Africa HR Solutions provides a wealth of labour law knowledge, thanks to our many local partnerships with experts in over 50 African countries. Through our Employer of Record services, we take on the responsibility of ensuring compliance with the law as well as dispensing payroll to employees, which also includes calculating leaves.
Maternity and Paternity Leave across Africa
CENTRAL AFRICA |
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| Country | Maternity leave | Maternity Pay | Paternity leave | Paternity pay |
| Angola | 90 days (120 days in case of multiple births) | 100% paid, reimbursed by social security | 1 day | 100% paid |
| Cameroon | 14 weeks | 100% of their salary | 3 days | 100% of their salary |
| Central African Republic | 14 weeks – 6 weeks before the birth and 8 weeks after. Maternity leave can be prolonged by an additional 3 weeks in the event of a medically certified illness arising from childbirth or pregnancy | Paid | 0 days | – |
| Chad | 14 weeks | 50% paid by social security | 2 weeks | Employer-paid |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | 15 weeks (6 before birth and 9 after birth) | 100% of their salary | 2 days | TBC |
| Equatorial Guinea | 12 weeks | 100% of their salary | 0 days | – |
| Gabon | 14 weeks (6 weeks before and 8 weeks after birth) | Paid | 3 days | TBC |
| Republic of Congo | 15 weeks (6 before birth and 9 after birth) | 2/3 of their salary | 2 days minimum | 100% of their salary |
| Sao Tome & Principe | 60 days | Paid | 0 days | – |
SOUTHERN AFRICA |
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| Country | Maternity leave | Maternity Pay | Paternity leave | Paternity pay |
| Botswana | 12 weeks (6 weeks before the birth and 6 after) | At least 50% of their salary | 0 days | – |
| Lesotho | 12 weeks | Paid | 0 days | – |
| Mozambique | 60 days | 100% of their salary | 7 days | TBC |
| Namibia | 14 weeks | 100% of their salary | 2 weeks | 100% of their salary |
| South Africa | 4 months | Unpaid | 10 days | Unpaid |
| Eswatini | 12 weeks | 2 weeks paid for if employee has been in employment for minimum 1 year | 0 days | – |
| Zambia | 14 weeks (at least 6 weeks to be taken post-birth and possibility to extend maternity leave to 18 weeks in the case of multiple births) | 100% of their salary | 5 days | Unpaid |
| Zimbabwe | 98 days | 100% paid | 0 days (Employees may request special leave for up to 12 days) | – |
EASTERN AFRICA |
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| Country | Maternity leave | Maternity Pay | Paternity leave | Paternity pay |
| Burundi | 12 weeks, extendable up to 14 weeks, is allotted, with at least 6 weeks to be used following the birth | 50% of salary | 4 days | 100% of their salary |
| Djibouti | 14 weeks | 50% of salary | 3 days | Paid but amount TBC |
| Eritrea | 60 days | – | 3 days | Paid but amount TBC |
| Ethiopia | 120 days (30 days before birth and 90 days after birth) | 100% of their salary | 3 days | 100% of their salary |
| Kenya | 3 months | 100% of their salary | 2 weeks | 100% of their salary |
| Malawi | 2 months | Paid leave | 0 days | – |
| Rwanda | 12 weeks | Paid leave – A salary of 14 weeks, including the eight weeks covered by the Social Security Administration [4] | 4 days | Paid leave |
| Somalia | 14 weeks | 50% of their salary | TBC | TBC |
| Tanzania | 12 weeks minimum | TBC | 3 days (The leave must be taken within 7 days of the child’s birth, and the worker must be the father of the child) | TBC |
| Uganda | 60 days | 100% of their salary | 4 days | 100% of their salary |
NORTHERN AFRICA | ||||
Country | Maternity leave | Maternity Pay | Paternity leave | Paternity pay |
Up to 14 weeks of maternity leave | 100% of their salary | 3 days | 100% of their salary | |
90 days | 100% of their salary | 0 days | – | |
14 weeks and up to 16 weeks for multiple or complicated births | TBC | 0 days | – | |
14 weeks (1 additional year of unpaid leave if so desired) | 100% of their salary | 3 days | 100% of their salary | |
90 days | 100% of their salary | 2 weeks | 100% of their salary | |
8 weeks | Paid but amount TBC | 0 | – | |
30 days | To receive 66.7% of their daily earnings, the employee must have contributed to social insurance for at least 80 days in the four quarters leading up to the birth | 1 day | 100% of their salary | |
WESTERN AFRICA | ||||
Country | Maternity leave | Maternity Pay | Paternity leave | Paternity pay |
6 weeks of leave before the birth and 8 weeks after the birth | 6 weeks of paid leave before the birth and 8 weeks after the birth, with the employer paying for half and social insurance the balance. | 3 days | TBC | |
14 weeks | 100% of their salary | 3 days | 100% of their salary | |
60 days | 80% of their salary | 60 days less any amount already taken by the mother | TBC | |
12 weeks | TBC | 0 days | – | |
12 weeks | 100% of their salary | 0 days | – | |
14 weeks | 100% of their salary | 0 days | – | |
60 days | 100% of their salary | 0 days | – | |
14 weeks | 100% of their salary | 10 days | Paid by the family allowance | |
14 weeks | 100% of their salary | 0 days | – | |
14 weeks | TBC | 3 days | TBC | |
14 weeks | 100% of their salary | TBC | TBC | |
14 weeks | TBC | 1 day | TBC | |
12 weeks (6 weeks before birth and 6 weeks after) | 50% of their salary | 10 days | 50% of their salary | |
14 weeks | 100% of their salary | 1 day of paternity leave only if the father is covered by the interprofessional collective agreement. | – | |
12 weeks | Paid but amount TBC | 0 days | – | |
14 weeks, of which 6 weeks shall be taken after the birth. Maternity leave can be prolonged by an additional 3 weeks in instances of complications or illnesses arising from pregnancy, childbirth, multiple pregnancies, or for reasons related to the child’s health, as certified by a doctor. | TBC | 0 days | – | |
INDIAN OCEAN |
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| Country | Maternity leave | Maternity Pay | Paternity leave | Paternity pay |
| Comoros | 14 weeks, and up to 17 weeks if there are complications or illnesses | 100% of their salary | TBC | TBC |
| Madagascar | 3 months | 50% for employees covered by the labour code and at 100% for public servants | 10 days | TBC |
| Seychelles | 16 weeks of paid leave and an additional 4 weeks of unpaid leave | Paid | 10 days | Paid |
| Mauritius | 12 weeks | 100% of their salary | 5 days | 100% of their salary |
How to successfully navigate parental leave as an employer
An employee has announced that they are going to be a parent. How can you, as an employer, best support them and their co-workers?
1.Be open, understanding, and transparent
When an employee approaches you with the news of their upcoming parenthood, receive them warmly, it is happy news, after all! Through your attitude and words, ensure that the employee feels safe to talk with HR or the management, should they have any issues or questions.
2.Discuss expectations
Good communication is crucial to ensuring the success of this period of change. It is important that employers and employees alike are able to openly talk about their expectations for the upcoming days and months so as to ensure that work can carry on smoothly in the absence of the employee.
3.Plan takeover
From the moment when an employee first announces the news, the concerned managers or team leaders should begin planning how the team will go about with the distribution of work once the employee is on leave. This will allow the whole team to prepare accordingly.
4.Discuss compensation/bonuses with co-workers
Picking up a co-worker’s workload will require other employees to put in more time and effort. If possible, consider giving additional compensation for the work they are doing, especially if it goes beyond their scope of work. This will motivate employees to shoulder these new and extra responsibilities.
5.Consider hiring a replacement during peak time
If an employee’s parental leave coincides with a peak period for your business, it may well be worth it to consider employing another worker to replace them while they are gone. Otherwise, your other employees may face too much pressure and feel that they are being unfairly treated.
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Additional benefits employers can offer new parents
With employee experience being so tightly linked to employee retention, it can prove beneficial for companies to offer the following additional benefits to new parents:
- Unpaid leave
Parenthood, especially within the first few months of birth can be quite taxing on new parents, so offering them additional, unpaid leave may be helpful for parents who feel they need the extra time off.
- Switch to part-time work
Some parents may wish to spend more time with their children during the first few months or even years after their birth. So, to avoid losing talent, employers can offer full-time employees the opportunity to work on a part-time basis. In this way, the employee can enjoy the work-life balance they need while still being in touch with their job responsibilities and their co-workers.
- Offer the opportunity to work remotely
Remote work is another benefit that new parents will be grateful for. It is the best solution for those employees who wish to remain on a full-time basis but are looking for more flexibility. Once again, offering such benefits enhances the employee’s experience and favours employee retention.
- Offer medical insurance
A medical insurance plan can prove to be invaluable for new parents. But employers must be careful when offering such benefits as they need to extend them to all their employees, for fear of showing favouritism.
Employee benefits made easy with Africa HR Solutions
Our Employer of Record (EOR) solution makes dispensing mandatory and additional benefits easy, and all in full compliance with local labour law. By opting for EOR services, you ensure that there are no non-compliance risks for your business. Better still, you can then enjoy the peace of mind and time needed to focus on your core business.
Get in touch with us now to find out how our Employer of Record services can benefit your company!