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Expand your global workforce in Gabon

Your guide to the employment landscape, working customs and local labor laws in

Capital

Libreville

Currency

Central African CFA Franc (XAF)

Languages

French, Fang

GDP per Capita

$ 6,641.53

Employer Tax

20.1%

Payroll Frequency

Monthly

Talent overview

Gabon boasts its economy with significant foreign investments since they are heavily tied with the French economy. They rely on skilled foreign workers and are one of the biggest economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, with $1.72B of foreign investments making up 11.21% of the country’s GDP. Gabon is rich in natural resources such as timber, manganese, and oil. It is also Africa’s fifth biggest oil producer, accounting for 50% of Gabon’s total economy and 80% of its exports.

Major economic hubs:

Libreville

Skills in demand:

Mining Professionals, Engineering Professionals, ICT Professionals

Top local universities in Gabon

Uni1 65

Université Omar Bongo

Ranking

Local: 1

World: 10,625

Uni2 57

Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku

Ranking

Local: 2

World: 11,142

Uni4 48

Institut des Techniques Avancées

Ranking

Local: 3

World: 12,494

Uni 4gabon

École Normale Supérieure de Libreville

Ranking

Local: 4

World: 12,618

Uni3 49

BBS School of Management

Ranking

Local: 5

World: 12,797

Top Local Job Boards:

Careers In Africa, Jobnet Africa, Job Artis

Number of LinkedIn users:

181, 400

Top Recruitment Agencies:

Africawork.com, Magnova Consultant

Where to find talent

Top Local Job Boards:

Number of LinkedIn users:

Top Recruitment Agencies:

Salary Data

Some of the common jobs in Gabon with average monthly salary;

Job Title Average Monthly Salary (XAF) Average Monthly Salary (USD)
General Manager 922,000.00 1,503
Information Technology Manager 857,000.00 1,397
Business Development Manager 816,000.00 1,331
Business Analyst 643,000.00 1048
Developer / Programmer 532,000.00 867
Database Administrator 508,000.00 828
Network Engineer 442,000.00 720

Employ in Gabon

Employing in Gabon

Hiring in Gabon requires you to be aware of the local employment laws, benefits, payroll, and taxes. Below is everything you need to know on how to successfully onboard talents from Gabon.

Employee Contract

Employment contracts in Gabon can be either written or oral. In practice, employers provide written contracts to employees in French stipulating working conditions and benefits available under the labor code.

Probation Period

The probationary period for new employees is up to six months in Gabon.

Public and Provincial Holidays 2023

Date Name Type
1 Jan New Year Public Holiday
9 Apr Easter Sunday Public Holiday
10 Apr Easter Monday Public Holiday
17 Apr Women’s Rights Day Public Holiday
22 Apr Eid al-Fitr (Tentative Date) Public Holiday
1 May Labour Day Public Holiday
18 May Ascension Day Public Holiday
29 May Whit Monday Public Holiday
29 Jun Eid al-Adha (Tentative Date) Public Holiday
15 Aug Assumption of Mary Public Holiday
16 Aug Independence Day Public Holiday
17 Aug Independence Day Public Holiday
1 Nov All Saints’ Eve Public Holiday
25 Dec Christmas Day Public Holiday

Employee Leaves

Type of leave Time period Mandatory
Annual leave/Earned Leave 21 days Yes
Maternity Leave 14 weeks Yes
Sick Leave 6 months Yes

Leave Compliance

Payroll in Gabon

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Payroll cycle

Workers in Gabon are paid monthly.

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Minimum wage

The minimum wage in Gabon is XAF 150,000 (USD 229.49) per month.

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Overtime pay

Overtime in Gabon is limited to 20 hours per week. The minimum overtime rate is 1.25x the normal wage but depends on the contract between the employer and employee.

How taxes work

Employer Payroll Tax

Classification Employer Contribution Rate (%)
Family Allowances 8
Retirement Insurance 5
Work Injury 3
Health Sanitary Evacuations 0.6
Medicines’ Distribution 2
Hospitalisations 1.5

Employee Payroll Tax

Classification Employee Contribution Rate (%)
CNSS Retirement Insurance 2.5
National Disease Insurance and Social Guarantee Fund (CNAMGS) 1

Employee Income Tax

Employee income determination in Gabon is determined by the annual salary deducted by a 20% allowance divided by the family quotient.

Q = [(S x 12) – A] / P (as Q is annual)

P = Family quotient (number of shares).

S = Monthly taxable gross income.

A = 20% allowance.

The family quotient depends on the number of dependents the employee has, which is determined by the number of shares as explained below.

Family status Number of shares
  • Unmarried
  • Divorced
  • Widowed

(without dependent child)

1
  • Married without dependent child
  • Unmarried or divorced with dependent child
2
  • Married or widowed within two (2) years after the death of spouse with dependent child
  • Unmarried or divorced with two (2) dependent children
2.5
  • Married or widowed within two (2) years after the death of spouse with two (2) dependent children
  • Unmarried or divorced with three (3) dependent children
3
  • Married or Widowed within two (2) years after death of spouse with three dependent children
  • Unmarried or divorced with four (4) dependent children
3.5
  • Additional child (up to a maximum of six (6) children
0.5

The tax is determined according the table below:

Part of the taxable revenue for 1 share (Q) Rate of tax
0 – 1,500,000 0
1,500,001 – 1,920,000 5% x Q – 75,000
1,920,001 – 2,700,000 10% x Q – 171,000
2,700,001 – 3,600,000 15% x Q – 306,000
3,600,001 – 5,160,000 20% x Q – 486,000
5,160,001 – 7,500,000 25% x Q – 744,000
7,500,001 – 11,000,000 30% x Q – 1,119,000
11,000,001 and above 35% x Q – 1,669,000

VAT

Standard VAT in Gabon is 18%.

Bonus

13th Month Pay

The 13th-month pay is not mandatory in Gabon but it is a common practice employers use to compensate their employees.

Employee Benefits

  • Annual Leave
  • Maternity Leave
  • Sick Leave
  • Social Security Benefit
  • Employment Injury Benefit
  • Old-age Pension
  • Dependent / Survivors Benefit
  • Unemployment Benefit
  • Disability Pension

Employee offboarding

Termination in Gabon requires a notice period when an employee is terminated during the contract by fault of the employee except for gross negligence. There are certain cases where the notice period can be waived, excluding serious misconduct.

The notice period for termination depends on the seniority of the employee in the organization.

  • 15 days for up to 1 year of service
  • 1 month’s notice for 1 – 3 years of service
  • 2 months’ 3 – 5 years of service
  • 4 months’ 10 – 15 years of service
  • 5 months’ 15 – 20 years of service
  • 6 months’ for 20 – 30 years of service
  • 6 months’ + 10 days extra per year of service with more than 30 years

Employees who have at least 2 years of service in the company are entitled to as severance pay for termination or resignation. The severance pay in Gabon is 20% of the average monthly salary of the last 1 year in service to the same organization.

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Visa and
immigration

Applying for a visa in Gabon is required and can be processed online (e-Visa). You can submit the required document form and a passport with at least 6 months of validity. The application is 72 hours in so you cannot travel to Gabon without a processed visa. E visas are granted from 1-3 months with a single entry to 6 with multiple entries. Payment for the e-Visa is upon delivery of the e-Visa sticker.

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