Hire in Tanzania
United Republic of Tanzania — 65 million population, $1,200 GDP per capita. Everything you need to know about employment law, tax, compliance and hiring in Tanzania.
Capital
Dodoma
Currency
Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)
Languages
Swahili, English
Time zones
UTC+3 (EAT)
Hiring overview
- Typical time to hire
- 1-3 weeks for contractor, 3-5 weeks for full-time
- Entity requirement
- Tanzanian limited company. Registration at BRELA.
- EOR available
- Yes — from $399/employee/month through a Corpshore entity
- Contractor of record
- Yes — from $39/worker/month
Employment law
- Standard workweek
- 45 hours
- Maximum weekly hours
- 45 hours
- Minimum annual leave
- 28 days
- Public holidays
- 14 per year
- Maternity leave
- 84 days (12 weeks), fully paid
- Paternity leave
- 3 days
- Notice period
- 28 days minimum
- Severance
- 7 days pay per year of service for redundancy.
- Probation
- 6 months (12 months in exceptional circumstances)
- Overtime rules
- 1.5x (regular overtime), 2x (public holidays).
Tax overview
- Income tax range
- 0% to 30%
- Corporate tax
- 30%
- Social contributions
- NSSF/PPF: 10% employer + 10% employee.
- VAT / GST
- 18%
- Tax year
- Calendar year (individuals), July-June (companies)
- Treaty network
- ~15 tax treaties
Compliance landscape
- Worker classification
- Employment and Labour Relations Act 2004 governs.
- Data protection
- Personal Data Protection Act 2022 (enacted but implementation ongoing).
- Right to work
- Work permit (Class A-C) required. Employer must demonstrate need.
- Non-compete
- Enforceable if reasonable.
- Collective bargaining
- Protected. CMA (Commission for Mediation and Arbitration) handles disputes.
Payment rails
Mobile money is the dominant payment method. Tanzania has one of Africa's highest mobile money adoption rates.
Key considerations for hiring
- Dar es Salaam is the commercial capital and main business centre
- Swahili is the lingua franca for East Africa (~100M speakers)
- Growing tech scene, especially in mobile money and agricultural technology
- Tanzania's natural resources (gold, tanzanite, natural gas) drive economic growth
Business and cultural context: Tanzania
Business culture
Warm, respectful, and community-oriented. Swahili greetings and pleasantries are important. Business relationships develop over time.
Key industries
Talent pool strengths
Historical context
Tanzania's mobile money revolution has made it one of Africa's most financially included countries: mobile money transactions exceed the country's GDP. The Dar es Salaam-based Tigo Pesa and Vodacom's M-Pesa process billions of dollars annually, enabling a cashless economy in a country where most adults lack traditional bank accounts.
Ready to hire in Tanzania?
Use our EOR service from $399/month and we handle employment law, payroll, tax and compliance in Tanzania for you.