What Are The Public Holidays in Zimbabwe in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Zimbabwe (2026)

Zimbabwe has a set of nationally recognised public holidays that apply across the whole country. Use the table below to plan staffing, leave, and payroll for your Zimbabwe-based team in 2026.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, Zimbabwean labour law generally requires employers to treat public holidays as paid days off for employees who would ordinarily be required to work on those days. If a public holiday falls on a day when an employee is normally scheduled to work, they are entitled to their normal pay for the day without being required to work. Where a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is typically observed as a substitute holiday, and employees who would normally work on that Monday are entitled to paid time off.

Part-time and fixed-term employees are usually entitled to public holiday pay on a pro rata basis if the holiday falls on a day they would normally work under their contract. If your business requires employees to work on a public holiday, they are generally entitled to their normal daily wage for the holiday plus additional compensation, often in the form of premium pay or a paid day off in lieu, as set out in the applicable employment contract or collective bargaining agreement. Because sectoral agreements can differ, you should always check the specific terms that apply to your workforce.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to honour public holiday entitlements in Zimbabwe can expose your company to complaints before labour officers, labour courts, or relevant authorities. Non-compliance may result in orders to repay underpaid wages, provide backdated holiday pay, or reinstate leave that was wrongly treated as ordinary working time. In more serious or repeated cases, employers can face fines or other sanctions under labour legislation.

Common mistakes include treating public holidays as unpaid leave, failing to recognise substitute days when holidays fall on Sundays, and not applying the correct rules to part-time or casual staff. Keeping clear records of work schedules, holiday calendars, and pay calculations is essential if you need to demonstrate compliance during an inspection or dispute.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

Public holidays in Zimbabwe generally do not count as ordinary working days when calculating standard hours, so work performed on a public holiday is usually treated separately from normal overtime. If an employee works on a public holiday, they are typically entitled to at least their normal daily wage for the holiday plus an additional premium for the hours worked, or a paid day off in lieu, depending on the contract or collective agreement.

Overtime thresholds and rates can vary by sector and by the specific terms of employment. In many cases, hours worked on a public holiday are paid at a higher rate than standard overtime, reflecting the special status of the day. To avoid disputes, your company should set out in writing how public holiday work is authorised, recorded, and compensated, and ensure that payroll systems correctly distinguish between normal hours, overtime, and public holiday work.

Stay 100% Compliant with Leave Regulations Using Playroll

Managing Zimbabwe public holidays across a distributed team can be tricky, especially when you are juggling different time zones, contracts, and local rules. Playroll helps you stay on top of Zimbabwean leave and holiday requirements so you can focus on running your business.

Our platform automatically applies the correct Zimbabwe public holiday calendar, including substitute days, to your employees’ profiles. When you onboard a team member in Zimbabwe, Playroll factors in local labour standards for public holidays, paid leave, and overtime so that contracts and payroll align with local expectations from day one.

Playroll’s in-country experts monitor legal and regulatory changes, so if Zimbabwe updates its public holiday schedule or adjusts leave rules, your settings and calculations can be updated without you having to track every change yourself. You get clear visibility into who is off, what they are entitled to, and how much you need to budget for holiday pay.

Whether you employ one specialist in Harare or a full team across Zimbabwe, Playroll gives you a single, compliant workflow for hiring, paying, and managing leave. That means fewer manual calculations, fewer compliance risks, and a smoother experience for your Zimbabwe-based employees.