Employment in Eswatini

The main legal framework includes the Employment Act 1980, Industrial Relations Act 2000, Wages Act 1964, Occupational Safety and Health Act 2001 and Workmen’s Compensation Act 1983. The Constitution also protects safe and healthy working conditions, equal pay, reasonable working hours, paid public holidays and protection against victimisation and unfair dismissal. The Employment Act allows an employment contract to be oral or written, but written terms provide clearer evidence of pay, duties, working hours, leave and termination arrangements. In 2023, about 260,356 people were employed in Eswatini. Approximately 47.6% worked in the formal sector, 46.3% in the informal sector and 6.0% in household employment. The Labour Market Information System, or LMIS, provides official vacancy and labour-market information. The Department of National Employment Services, or DNES, supports labour-market statistics, skills and training information, localisation and work-permit information. Job seekers can use LMIS and apply directly to employers. No general application fee or deadline is established in the available national sources. Training and qualification routes include apprenticeships and trade testing. An apprenticeship combines theory with practical work under a contract and can last up to five years. Trade testing assesses occupational competence at Grade 3, Grade 2 or Grade 1. Applicants must generally be at least 18 years old. Grade 3 requires at least three years of work experience; Grade 2 requires a Grade 3 certificate and 18 months of experience; Grade 1 requires a Grade 2 certificate and 2.5 years of experience. Applications use a Directorate of Industrial and Vocational Training, or DIVT, form. Delays in processing results were reported in 2024 and 2025, so applicants should check current processing arrangements. A non-citizen generally needs a work permit and temporary residence permit through the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The documented application materials can include Form 3, an employer letter, a full-page vacancy advertisement, a police clearance certificate, qualification evidence, a medical certificate, a passport and employer Form J or Form C. The official sources reviewed do not establish one universal fee or processing deadline, so the current individual requirements should be confirmed before submission. Pay and working conditions can differ by sector. Eswatini does not have one universal national minimum wage in the reviewed sources. Sector-specific Wages Orders set minimum pay and conditions for areas such as agriculture, mining and quarrying, motor engineering, security services, retail and wholesale trades, domestic employees, pre-schools and day-care services, school support, handicraft, funeral undertakers and micro-money lenders. The contract, applicable Wages Order and any collective agreement determine matters such as working time, rest, leave, notice and special conditions. PAYE tax and an Eswatini National Provident Fund, or ENPF, deduction may be made only where the law permits it. Regular employees are generally covered by ENPF, including non-citizens unless an exception applies. Privately employed domestic servants are currently excluded from ENPF coverage. In 2026, the contribution wage ceiling is E4,300 per month, with a maximum legal contribution of E430: E215 from the employee and E215 from the employer. A workplace injury should be reported through an injury-on-duty report and supported by a medical certificate. The Workmen’s Compensation Unit assesses the claim. Employees may join trade unions, participate in collective bargaining and use works councils where applicable. The Department of Labour provides advice, conducts routine and complaint inspections, handles occupational safety and health matters and supports workmen’s compensation processes. The Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission, known as CMAC, assists with employment disputes, while the Industrial Court can address remedies such as reinstatement and compensation. Ending employment can involve notice, redundancy or severance under the Employment Act and any applicable agreement or Wages Order. Unemployment benefits belong to the separate unemployment topic, not to the employment framework itself. Wages Orders, immigration requirements, ENPF rates and DIVT dates should be checked in their current versions because they can change.