Your quick guide on talent and labor compliance norms in Senegal
Capital
Dakar
Currency
West African CFA franc (XOF)
Languages
French, Wolof
Payroll Frequency
Daily, Weekly, Monthly
GDP per Capita
$1,465.11
Employer Tax
17.6% - 26.4%
Talent Overview
Senegal’s major economic contributor is the services sector which accounts for 49.9% of their GDP and provides employment to 57% of their workforce. This is due to their reliant telecommunication infrastructure, which attracted many investors to do business with the country. Tourism is another contributing factor for their economic success due to the country’s tropical climate which has attracted many European travelers to visit the country.
Major economic hubs:
Dakar, Touba , Thiès
Skills in demand:
Project engineers, Geologists, Geophysicists, Drilling engineers, Oil Engineers, Maintenance Engineers
Local Universities
The top local universities in Senegal are as follows:
Local: 1
World : 3,032
Local: 2
World : 6,006
Local: 3
World : 8,181
Local: 4
World : 9,712
Local: 5
World : 10,111
Salary Data
Some of the common jobs with average monthly salaries in Senegal are mentioned below;
| Job Title | Average Monthly Salary (XOF) | Average Monthly Salary (USD) |
| Accountant | 222,000 | 361.69 |
| Programmer / Developer | 320,000 | 521.35 |
| Financial Analyst | 445,000 | 725.01 |
| Graphic Designer | 214,000 | 348.66 |
| Project Manager | 391,000 | 637.03 |
| Sales Manager | 551,000 | 897.71 |
| Customer Service Representative | 122,000 | 198.77 |
Talent Sourcing Tips
Careers in Africa, NGO Jobs in Africa, CareerJet
900,700
The Senegalese labor code provides guidelines for employers when hiring employees to their business. It also includes requirements that businesses must comply with as a way to protect employees from unjust hiring practices. Below are some items that are vital when employing workers from the country.
Employment contracts in Senegal may be oral or in writing. However, it is required that a written document will be provided to the workers, explaining the terms of their employment using the local language.
According to the country’s labor code, the probation period for employees must not be longer than 6 months.
| Date | Name | Type |
| 1 Jan | New Year | Public Holiday |
| 1 Apr | Easter Monday | Public Holiday |
| 4 Apr | Independence Day | Public Holiday |
| 10 Apr | Korité (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
| 1 May | Labour Day | Public Holiday |
| 9 May | Ascension Day | Public Holiday |
| 20 May | Whit Monday | Public Holiday |
| 17 Jun | Tabaski (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
| 17 Jul | Tamkharit (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
| 15 Aug | Assumption of Mary | Public Holiday |
| 24 Aug | Grand Magal de Touba | Public Holiday |
| 16 Sep | Maouloud (Tentative Date) | Public Holiday |
| 1 Nov | All Saints’ Day | Public Holiday |
| 25 Dec | Christmas Day | Public Holiday |
| Type of Leave | Time Period | Mandatory |
| Annual Leave | 24 days | Yes |
| Sick Leave | 6 months | Yes |
| Maternity Leave | 14 weeks | Yes |
Payroll
Payroll Cycle
Salaries in Senegal may either be paid daily, weekly or monthly, depending on what was stated in the employees’ contract.
Minimum Wage
The Minimum wage for Senegalese employees working in the agriculture sector and other related sectors is CFA 213 per hour. For employees working outside of those sectors, the minimum wage rate is CFA 334 per hour.
Overtime Pay
Any hours worked beyond the stipulated 40 hours per week will be considered as overtime and will be subject for additional compensation. For the first 8 hours of extra work, Senegalese employees will receive 110% of their regulated hourly rate. After the 48th hour, they are entitled to 135% of their hourly rate.
Bonus
A 13th-month pay is not a requirement in Senegal
Senegalese employees are entitled to the following benefits during their employment:
Taxes
| Type of Contribution | Tax Rate | Maximum monthly basis of calculation (XOF) |
| Social Security – Family Sector | 7% | 63,000 |
| Social Security – Industrial accident / Occupational disease | 1% or 3% or 5% | 63,000 |
| Retirement contribution (General employees) | 8.4% | 432,000 |
| Retirement contribution (Executive employees) | 3.6% | 1,296,000 |
| Medical Coverage | 6% | – |
| Type of Contribution | Tax Rate | Maximum monthly basis of calculation (XOF) |
| Retirement contribution (General employees) | 5.6% | 432,000 |
| Retirement contribution (Executive employees) | 2.4% | 1,296,000 |
| Medical Coverage | 6% | – |
| Annual income (XOF*) | Tax rate (%) | |
| 0 – 630,000 | 0 | |
| 630,001 – 1,500,000 | 20 | |
| 1,500,001 – 4,000,000 | 30 | |
| 4,000,001 – 8,000,000 | 35 | |
| 8,000,001 – 13,500,000 | 37 | |
| 13,500,001 – 50,000,000 | 40 | |
| 50,000,001 – And over | 43 | |
The VAT rate in Senegal varies based on sector. Below are the rates:
Offboarding & Termination
Employment contracts that are fixed-term legally end at the indicated time or when either an employer or employee chooses to cancel it. An indefinite period contract may be terminated by either party by providing a written notice of the decision to end the contract.
The notice period for Senegalese employees may be up to 3 months, depending on the years of service rendered with the company and job position.
Terminated employees are entitled to a severance pay after a year of working with a company. The below mentioned rates are followed based on the years they have continuously worked:
| Years of Service | Severance Pay Calculation |
| First 5 | 25% of the monthly wages |
| 5 to 10 | 30% of the monthly wages |
| 10 and above | 40% of the monthly wages |
Visa and Immigration
Overseas employees will need to secure a work permit to legally work in Senegal. However, only long-term work permits are issued in the country, with a validity of 2 years. Additionally, they must also apply for a residence permit to stay in Senegal.
