What Are The Public Holidays in Zambia in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Zambia (2026)

Below is an overview of Zambia’s nationwide public holidays in 2026 so you can plan staffing, leave, and payroll for your Zambian team with confidence.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, Zambian employment law generally requires employers to treat official public holidays as paid days off for employees who would normally work on those days. If a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is typically observed as a paid public holiday, and employees should not lose pay because of the closure. Part-time employees are usually entitled to paid public holidays on a pro‑rated basis when the holiday falls on a day they are normally scheduled to work.

When your business needs employees to work on a public holiday, they are typically entitled to both their normal pay for the day and an additional premium or compensatory time off, in line with their employment contract, collective agreement, or company policy. The safest approach is to set out clear written rules on who can be scheduled on holidays, how consent is obtained, and how premium pay or time off in lieu is calculated, and to apply those rules consistently.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to respect public holiday rights in Zambia can expose your company to claims for underpayment of wages, orders to pay arrears, and potential penalties under labour legislation. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security and labour officers can investigate complaints, inspect records, and require employers to correct non‑compliance. Employees may also bring disputes to labour officers or industrial relations bodies if they believe they were denied paid holidays or correct premium pay.

Common employer mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, failing to pay a premium when employees work on a holiday, misclassifying staff as casual workers to avoid entitlements, and keeping incomplete attendance and payroll records. To reduce risk, you should maintain accurate timekeeping and payroll documentation, ensure contracts reflect statutory minimums, and periodically review your holiday practices against current Zambian labour standards and any applicable collective agreements.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

Public holidays in Zambia interact with normal working time and overtime rules by changing how hours on those days are treated. Hours worked on a public holiday are typically compensated at a higher rate than ordinary hours, often at least the standard overtime or public holiday premium rate set out in employment contracts, sectoral agreements, or company policy. Where an employee works beyond their normal daily or weekly hours and those hours fall on a public holiday, they may be entitled to both overtime and holiday premium pay, or to enhanced time off in lieu, depending on the applicable arrangement.

Because specific rates and thresholds can vary by sector and contract, the safest practice is to define in writing how you will treat: hours worked on a public holiday within normal schedules, hours that exceed normal daily or weekly limits on a holiday, and any compensatory rest days. You should also ensure your payroll system can flag public holiday hours separately so that overtime and premium calculations are transparent and auditable.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing Zambian public holidays alongside leave rules in other countries can quickly become complex, especially when you are juggling different premium rates, observed days, and contract types. Playroll helps you centralise this complexity so your team stays compliant without needing to become local labour law experts.

With Playroll, you can hire and pay employees in Zambia through fully compliant employment arrangements, while our platform keeps track of statutory public holidays, typical observance rules, and local payroll expectations. We help you structure contracts that reflect Zambian norms on paid public holidays, overtime, and time off in lieu, and we update our guidance as laws or practices evolve.

Instead of manually updating spreadsheets every time a holiday shifts or a new employee joins, you can rely on Playroll to automate calculations and surface potential compliance gaps before they become issues. That means fewer payroll errors, clearer expectations for your Zambian team, and more time for you to focus on growing your business rather than decoding local regulations.