Zanzibar: everything we know so far

Zanzibar President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, has announced an increase in the minimum wage from Sh300,000 to Sh500,000 per month. Zanzibar has emerged this Friday as one of the stories drawing attention in Tanzania.

Key facts

• Zanzibar President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, has announced an increase in the minimum wage from Sh300,000 to Sh500,000 per month.
• Zanzibar increases salaries of public servants by up to 19 percent.
• The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar has increased the isles minimum wage this year.
• “The government will continue to improve working conditions and ensure that public servants receive their entitlements on time,” said Dr Mwinyi, urging workers to remain diligent, disciplined and patriotic in order to drive Zanzibar’s sustainable development.
• It was reported during the National Mayday 2026 celebrations held in Njombe region, that other salary scales on the mainland will also be increased respectively and gradually but it wasn’t clarified for how much.

What we know

Going deeper, Zanzibar increases salaries of public servants by up to 19 percent.

On the substance, the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar has increased the isles minimum wage this year.

Beyond the headlines, it was reported during the National Mayday 2026 celebrations held in Njombe region, that other salary scales on the mainland will also be increased respectively and gradually but it wasn’t clarified for how much.

More precisely, ​Zanzibar has upped the Isles’ minimum wage scale to 500,000/- Tanzanian shillings, per month, equivalent to USD 192, applicable to public servants.

It is worth noting that Announcing the increment during the labors’ day fete in Unguja, the President of Zanzibar, Hussein Ali Mwinyi said the new salary scale takes effect from the first day of January 2027, which means the Island workers will start enjoying the bumped-up earnings from next February.

By the numbers

At this stage, On the other hand, the Government of Zanzibar used the May Day 2026 occasion to announce that it has set aside more than 7500 employment slots in the Isles’ public sector for the fiscal year 2026-2027.

On a related note, Dr Mwinyi made the announcement on May 1, 2026, during the climax of International Workers’ Day celebrations held at the Kizimbani Agricultural Exhibition Grounds in the Urban West.

Going deeper, He said the new wage will take effect from January 2027, noting that the decision has taken into account the country’s economic conditions, rising cost of living, and the government’s commitment to boosting worker motivation in order to enhance efficiency in service delivery.

On the substance, Tanzanian tycoon to build 10 maternal hospitals in Sh90 billion deal with Kenyan government.

What they're saying

“The government will continue to improve working conditions and ensure that public servants receive their entitlements on time,” said Dr Mwinyi, urging workers to remain diligent, disciplined and patriotic in order to drive Zanzibar’s sustainable development.

“The government will continue to improve working conditions and ensure employees receive their entitlements on time,” said Dr Mwinyi, while calling on workers to continue working with diligence, discipline, and patriotism to support sustainable development in Zanzibar.

The wider context

On a related note, Zanzibar announces minimum wage for the private sector.

Going deeper, despite sharing the Union of the Republic, Tanzania and Zanzibar have different labor laws.

On the substance, as it seems, Zanzibar maintains its own distinct labor regulations and wage boards, different from that of mainland Tanzania.

Beyond the headlines, Previously the minimum wage in the Isles was pegged at 300,000/- per month or USD 115.

More precisely, as for the private sector, it seems the lowest pay scale is still fixed at 347,000/- per month, but this is usually flexible​ and subject to change depending on each company, organization or institution.

The bottom line

• The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar has increased the isles minimum wage this year.
• It was reported during the National Mayday 2026 celebrations held in Njombe region, that other salary scales on the mainland will also be increased respectively and gradually but it wasn’t clarified for how much.
• Despite sharing the Union of the Republic, Tanzania and Zanzibar have different labor laws.