Digital platforms in Mozambique: your rights

Digital platforms in Mozambique do not yet have their own labor law: anyone working on a ride-hailing or delivery app is currently governed by Labor Law 13/2023 — and by the framing of each working relationship. A targeted revision of the law, which is discussing the protection of these workers, is under debate in government: it has not been approved.

Between what currently exists and what is under debate, there are concrete rights you can already demand.

This text is straightforward: what is in force, what is under discussion, and what you can demand today — without promising "new guaranteed rights" that do not exist.

What is in force today: Law 13/2023

The rule that applies today to platform work is the same that applies to any job in Mozambique: the presumption of an employment relationship. If there is subordination, fixed hours, and personal performance of work, it is an employment relationship — and worker rights apply.

In practice, this means: an app driver who has fixed hours, complies with app rules like an employee, and cannot refuse work is, under the law's definition, in an employment relationship — even if the contract says "service provider."

What the law guarantees to this worker: sector minimum wage, paid leave, weekly rest, accident insurance, and working hours limits. What it does not guarantee: a specific minimum wage for platform work — because that framework does not exist yet.

What is under debate: the Labor Law revision

On August 26, 2026, INTIC (Instituto Nacional de Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação) and the Ministry of Labor, Gender and Social Action met to discuss the targeted revision of the Labor Law, focusing on social protection for digital platform workers: app drivers and delivery riders.

The 4 points under discussion:

• Identification of the liable party — who, between the platform and the entities operating it in Mozambique, is legally responsible for the employment relationship;
• Qualification of the contract — when a "service provider" becomes an employee, and what criteria apply;
• Algorithmic transparency — the rules distributing tasks and earnings must be clear and understandable;
• Social protection — the social security system for these workers.

The current status is under debate. There is no approved text, no date for coming into force, and no new rights guaranteed by law. Anyone promising you "the new law that guarantees X" is selling what does not yet exist — and that changes how you should plan around it.

How to read the news: what is accurate and what is not yet official

In August 2026, some news outlets reported that the revision "has already been approved" by the Assembly of the Republic. The government meeting on August 26 keeps the process at the discussion stage — and, as of the publication date of this guide, there is no official record of approval. The distinction matters: approval by the Assembly is one step; publication in the Boletim da República and coming into force is another.

Until the revision comes into force, the rule that applies is the presumption under Law 13/2023. That, and not a newspaper announcement, determines what you can demand today.

What you can demand right now — before the new law

There are 5 things that do not depend on a new law. Demand them in your contract or platform signup terms:

1. A written contract stating, in simple language, your status: service provider or employee, and what changes in each case.
2. The platform's commission percentage by service type — without this, the "up to 21,000 MT/month" in an ad is not a plan, it's just an ad.
3. Deactivation and suspension criteria — rating thresholds, conduct rules, what causes the app to remove your tasks, and how to appeal.
4. Equipment and insurance — who provides the motorbike, phone, helmet; and whether accident insurance covers your shift.
5. A complaint channel with a clear response timeframe — what is in writing is what can be enforced.

What you cannot demand today, and why: a specific minimum wage for platform work. It does not exist — and that is what the revision under debate is trying to create. It may come; until it does, your anchor is the presumption under Law 13/2023.

Employee or contractor: what changes in your pocket

If the relationship qualifies as employment (subordination + hours + personal service), the rights are those of an employee: sector minimum wage, paid leave, insurance, rest periods. If it is genuinely a service provision, the framework is commercial: you invoice, you pay your taxes, and the platform collects its commission.

The line is not written in a specific platform decree — it lies in the facts of each relationship. And that is the line the revision is trying to make explicit. Until then, facts are what must be proven: who sets the schedule, who can refuse tasks, who provides equipment, how deactivation works. That is what the Law 13/2023 guide explains.

How do you know which scenario you are in? The 4 practical tests

1. Who sets the schedule? If the app imposes shifts and penalizes absence, you lean towards scenario 1.

2. Who provides the equipment? Platform-provided motorbike, phone, and helmet are characteristics of an employee, not an independent contractor.

3. Can you refuse tasks? Genuine refusal (without deactivation) indicates independence; refusal with penalties indicates subordination.

4. Do you have your own clients? Full independence: the app is just a channel, not the owner of your work.

These 4 tests are not law — they are the interpretation of the Law 13/2023 presumption applied to apps. Keep them in mind: they are what you need to prove if the relationship is disputed.

The map of the 3 scenarios with the same app

The same driver can operate under 3 different arrangements, and the difference changes what they earn. The scenario depends on the facts, not the contract title.

Scenario 1 — employee. Fixed hours, platform-provided equipment, no freedom to refuse. The presumption of Law 13/2023 applies: minimum wage, paid leave, insurance, rest periods. This scenario provides the most protection — and is the one platforms prefer to avoid.

Scenario 2 — contractor with subordination. No set schedule, but the app dictates prices and deactivates accounts. This is the gray zone: the revision under debate is trying to define the criteria separating one from the other. Until then, it must be proven based on facts.

Scenario 3 — genuinely independent contractor. Chooses when and where to work, has their own clients, uses the app as a channel. The framework is commercial: invoices, pays taxes, and platform commission is a business cost.

Read also

• Delivery Driver in Mozambique: Earnings and What to Demand

Frequently asked questions

1. Is there already a specific law for platform workers in Mozambique?

No. The targeted revision of the Labor Law is under government debate (INTIC–Ministry of Labor meeting, August 26, 2026), but no specific legislation has been approved or brought into force. The applicable rule today is Law 13/2023.

2. If the app says I am a "service provider," do I have no rights?

The classification given by the app is not final. The presumption under Law 13/2023 looks at facts: subordination, hours, personal service delivery. If these facts exist, it is an employment relationship — and worker rights apply, whether the app acknowledges it or not.

3. Is the "up to 21,000 MT/month" advertised by Yango a minimum wage?

No. It is the company's recruitment ad — a potential maximum earnings figure, not a floor. Actual earnings depend on working hours, area, demand, and commission.

4. When will the new protection come into force?

There is no fixed date. The process is in the debate stage; approval, publication in the Boletim da República, and coming into force are separate steps. Check the current status before planning your career around the new law.

5. What should I do if the app deactivates me without explanation?

Demand the reason in writing and use the complaint channel. If the relationship is an employment relationship (based on facts), arbitrary deactivation falls under labor law — and the General Inspectorate of Labor (Inspecção-Geral do Trabalho) is the appropriate avenue. If it is a service provision contract, commercial contract terms apply.

The starting point, even during debate

Until the revision is finalized, protection is built on 2 layers: the existing law (the presumption of Law 13/2023, which is your anchor) and what you are willing to accept in each contract (commission, deactivation rules, equipment, insurance).

Create your free profile on Inademy — job alerts arrive via email and WhatsApp.

The Guide's cover letter is your entry document, and if formal employment with a contract is the path, your sector's minimum wage is listed in the 19-sector table. The Guide's first job CV is the document you use to request that review in writing.

The right path in each situation

If you are in scenario 1 or 2 and the app denies worker rights, the recourse is the General Inspectorate of Labor (Inspecção-Geral do Trabalho). Legal enforcement applies to anything that violates the presumption of employment.

If you are in scenario 3, the path is tax compliance: the invoicing regime you use is what protects you.

And in any of the 3 scenarios, the Guide's cover letter can be used to request a status review in writing before seeking administrative recourse.

Sources

MZNews (August 27, 2026) — INTIC/Ministry of Labor, Gender and Social Action meeting regarding the targeted revision of the Labor Law; Labor Law 13/2023 (presumption of employment relationship); Yango MZ (2026) — earnings announcement of up to 21,000 MT/month; Boletim da República (official gazette publishing legislation into force).