Night Work in Mozambique: Pay, Holidays and Weekly Rest

Night work in Mozambique has its value clearly stated in Labour Law 13/2023: night hours pay an extra 25 percent; public holidays pay an extra 100 percent — or come with compensatory rest on top.

Have you ever worked on a Sunday or a shift that crossed midnight and wondered how much you were owed? The answer lies in the law — and in this guide, we put the law on your side: time windows, MZN calculations using the 2026 minimum wage, and what to do when your payslip does not add up.

The short answer

• Night work is the 8 p.m. window: between 8 p.m. on one day and the start time of the normal working period on the following day (Article 100(1)).
• Night work during normal hours pays an extra 25 per cent over the equivalent day rate (Article 125(3)).
• Work on holidays or rest days counts as exceptional work: weekly rest, supplementary rest, public holidays, or official days off (Article 98(1)).
• Exceptional work pays an extra 100 per cent (Article 125(2)) — plus compensatory rest: 1 day for every 3 days worked, or half a day if the work does not exceed 5 hours (Article 98(4)).
• Weekly rest: minimum of 24 consecutive hours, usually on Sunday (Article 104(1)), with 4 exceptions that shift the day.
• The signed record is your proof: Article 98(3) requires your employer to log exceptional work with your signature.

What is night work: the 8 pm window

The definition is literal. Article 100, paragraph 1 states:

"Night work is considered to be work performed between eight o'clock in the evening of one day and the start time of the normal work period of the following day, excluding shift work provided for in the following article." (Art. 100, para. 1, Labour Law 13/2023)

Rule of thumb: on a shift from 6 pm to 2 am, the first 2 hours (from 6 pm to 8 pm) count as day work; the remaining 6 hours, from 8 pm onwards, fall into the night window.

Shift work follows a different regime (Article 101): rotation at regular intervals (paragraph 3), and night pay applies "with necessary adaptations" (Article 125, paragraph 4).

Collective agreements can narrow the window:

"Collective bargaining instruments may classify as night work any work performed during seven of the nine hours between eight o'clock in the evening of one day and five o'clock in the morning of the next day." (Art. 100, para. 2)

If your agreement starts night work at 9 pm, that is the rule for your company — always adhering to the most favourable treatment principle (Art. 20, para. 1).

Night shift pay: the 25 per cent bonus

This extra rate is set out in Article 125(3):

"Night work must be remunerated with a twenty-five per cent increase relative to the pay for corresponding work performed during the day." (Art. 125(3))

Based on the 2026 industrial minimum wage — MZN 10,622.50/month effective from 1 April — the daytime hourly rate is MZN 10,622.50 ÷ 26 days ÷ 8 hours = MZN 51.07. The night hourly rate is: 51.07 × 1.25 = MZN 63.84.

Example — a shift from 18:00 to 02:00 for a worker paid under the industrial wage scale.

1. 2 daytime hours (from 18:00 to 20:00): 2 × 51.07 = MZN 102.14.
2. 6 nighttime hours (from 20:00 to 02:00): 6 × 63.84 = MZN 383.04.
3. Full shift: 102.14 + 383.04 = MZN 485.18.

The calculation is based on the salary on your payslip — not the minimum wage, unless you are paid according to the sectoral rate (see the full list in our guide to the 19 minimum wage rates for 2026). Does your employer use a different divisor? Ask for your calculation basis in writing. The line between night pay and overtime is covered in our article on overtime pay.

What is exceptional work: public holidays, rest days, and official time off

Working on a day when you should be at home has a specific name: exceptional work (Article 98, No. 1).

"Exceptional work is defined as work performed on a weekly rest day, complementary rest day, public holiday, or government-declared day off." (Art. 98, No. 1)

There are four types: weekly rest, complementary rest, national public holiday, and official time off. You can find the complete lists in our article on leave and public holidays at work in Mozambique.

There is one mandatory situation, where your consent is not required:

"Exceptional work is mandatory in cases of force majeure to address an occurred or imminent accident, or to perform urgent and unforeseen work on machinery and equipment essential to the normal operation of the company or establishment." (Art. 98, No. 2)

A breakdown on the production line, a generator failure at a hospital: the law permits the call-in. Beyond that, working on a rest day must be recorded in the log with your signature.

How exceptional work is paid: 100 percent or compensatory rest

The rate comes from Article 125, paragraph 2:

"Exceptional work must be paid at an amount corresponding to normal work remuneration, plus one hundred percent." (Art. 125, paragraph 2)

Using the industry scale: a normal day is 10,622.50 ÷ 26 = MZN 408.56; an exceptional work day is 408.56 × 2 = MZN 817.12. Hour by hour, 51.07 × 2 = MZN 102.14.

Money is not everything: Article 98, paragraph 4 also gives you time off on top of that.

"Work performed on a weekly rest day, complementary rest day, public holiday, or point-off day, without prejudice to shift work schedules, entitles the employee to a full day of compensatory rest on one of the following three days, unless the work performed does not exceed five consecutive or non-consecutive hours, in which case it is compensated with half a day of rest." (Art. 98, paragraph 4)

Example — a public holiday worked under the industry scale.

1. Money: MZN 817.12 for the day (408.56 × 2, Article 125, paragraph 2).
2. Compensatory rest: 1 full day, to be scheduled on one of the next 3 days (Article 98, paragraph 4).
3. Short shift, under 5 consecutive or non-consecutive hours: the entitlement is half a day, not a full day.

Check your payslip to make sure the public holiday is paid double and schedule your earned rest day on your calendar.

Weekly rest: 24 hours and the 4 exceptions

The minimum is 24 consecutive hours, usually on Sunday. Article 104, paragraph 1 states:

"Employees are entitled to a weekly rest period of at least 24 consecutive hours on a day that is, normally, Sunday." (art. 104, paragraph 1)

"Normally Sunday" opens the 4 exceptions in Article 104, paragraph 2 — Sunday rest is moved when:

• Services that cannot be interrupted — hospitals, ports, electricity supply, 24/7 factories.
• Retail establishments or service providers — supermarkets, hotels, bars.
• Cleaning, preparatory, and complementary work that must take place during the rest day of other staff.
• Activities that, by their nature, take place on Sunday — shows, events.

In these cases, Article 104, paragraph 3 provides for a different rest day, preferably on a regular schedule. And the family rule (paragraph 4): whenever possible, members of the same household rest on the same day.

Pay increments at a glance — and what remains mandatory

Four pay regimes, each covered by its own article of the law:

• Night work within normal hours: an extra 25 percent over the equivalent day rate (Article 125, paragraph 3).
• Exceptional work on public holidays or rest days: an extra 100 percent (Article 125, paragraph 2), plus compensatory rest of 1 day or half a day (Article 98, paragraph 4).
• Daytime overtime: an extra 50 percent, up to 24 hours (Article 125, paragraph 1, first tier).
• Nighttime overtime: an extra 100 percent, from 8:00 pm to the start of the normal period the following day (Article 125, paragraph 1, second tier).
• Compensatory rest: 1 full day within 3 days if the work exceeds 5 hours; half a day if it does not (Article 98, paragraph 4).

In continuous operations, shifts operate on a rotation basis (Article 101, paragraph 3), and Article 101, paragraph 4 mandates compensatory rest for a period equivalent to the shift worked. The overtime limits (96 per quarter, 8 per week, 200 per year, Article 99, paragraph 3) are explained further in the article on 48-hour working hours and overtime.

What if the company does not pay?

There are 4 steps to take.

1. Record-keeping. Article 98, paragraph 3 requires the employer to keep a record of exceptional work:

"The employer is required to maintain a record of exceptional work, in which, before the work begins and after it ends, the respective entries are made, along with an explicit statement of the grounds for performing exceptional work, and it must be signed off by the employee who performed it." (Art. 98, paragraph 3)

Sign it when asked: it is your proof. Keep the roster and your payslip.

2. Written request. Send an email or a letter with a signed copy: include the hours, the statutory rate (25 percent for night work, 100 for exceptional work), and the total in MZN. Having clear numbers in hand changes the conversation.

3. Union and INSS (Social Security). If you belong to a union, reach out to them; the social security system is explained in our article on INSS (Social Security) in Mozambique: contributions and protection.

4. Provincial Labour Inspectorate. If the company does not reply, file a written complaint with the signed record, the roster, and your payslip.

How Inademy helps you

Before accepting a night shift, know your numbers: on Inademy, you can view job openings with salary ranges whenever employers share them, and compare them with the sector minimum. Setting up a profile is free, you can apply using a PDF CV, and you will receive new job alerts via email and WhatsApp.

Jobs with listed salary ranges are easier to negotiate: you know your reference hourly rate and the rate that should apply to you. Browse through job openings on Inademy; if you have questions about deductions, start with the difference between net and gross salary in the Inademy Guide.

Where these figures come from

• Night work, exceptional work, and weekly rest: Law No. 13/2023, of 25 August, Boletim da República, Series I, No. 165 — Articles 98, 99, 100, 101, 104, and 125; in force since 21 February 2024 (Art. 274: entry into force 180 days after publication).
• Industrial sector minimum wage, MZN 10,622.50/month effective 1 April 2026 (retroactively approved by the Council of Ministers on 28 April): INSS (Social Security) and AIM; from our article updated on 11-09-2026 covering the 19 sector rates.
• Daily and hourly conversions: 10,622.50 ÷ 26 days = MZN 408.56/day; ÷ 8 hours = MZN 51.07/hour (based on 208 hours per month).
• Example values (MZN 102.14; 383.04; 485.18 per shift; MZN 817.12 for exceptional work days; MZN 63.84/h night rate): exact calculations based on the above numbers, rounded to the cent. No estimations on our part.

Frequently asked questions

Is night shift work the same as night work?

They are not the same: shift work is exempt from the definition under Article 100(1) and follows Article 101 — rotation and equivalent compensatory rest. The 25 per cent premium applies to normal working hours within the night window (Articles 125(3) and (4)).

Can the company force me to work on my rest day?

Only force majeure — such as accidents or urgent work (Article 98(2)) — makes it mandatory. Otherwise, every rest day worked must be recorded in the endorsed register (Article 98(3)) and paid at an extra 100 per cent. Without a record, file a claim.

I worked 2 hours on a public holiday: do I get 1 day or half a day of rest?

Half a day: the work performed does not exceed 5 consecutive or alternating hours (Article 98(4)). If it exceeds that, you get a full day off within the next 3 days. The extra 100 per cent premium for the 2 hours worked remains due.

Does the 25 per cent night premium apply to the entire shift?

It applies to normal working hours between 20:00 and the start of the next day's normal period (Articles 100(1) and 125(3)). Beyond normal working hours, they count as overtime: an extra 50 per cent up to 24:00, and an extra 100 per cent afterwards (Article 125(1)).

Can compensatory rest be converted into cash?

Article 98(4) grants rest — 1 day or half a day — and does not provide for cash replacement in the reviewed sections. If your collective agreement or employment contract opens that door, ask for written confirmation with the amount and dates.

Where do I report a company that fails to pay night allowance?

To the Provincial Labour Inspectorate, with the endorsed register (Article 98(3)), the work schedule, and your payslip — alongside your sector's trade union. The endorsed register is the decisive evidence.

In short, what to do today

1. Take your salary from your pay slip — divide it by 26 days and by 8 hours; based on the industry pay scale, the benchmark is MZN 51.07/hour.
2. Apply the correct rate — night shift: MZN 63.84/h; exceptional day: MZN 817.12 (based on the industry pay scale).
3. Check your pay slips from recent weeks: does night work include the extra pay? Are public holidays paid double?
4. Request the endorsed record of exceptional work — Article 98(3) — and sign it.
5. If the numbers don't add up: submit a written request to the company; with no response, contact the trade union and labour inspectorate.
6. Schedule your compensatory rest over the next 3 days — it is yours by law.

Keep these 3 numbers — your hourly rate, the rate, the endorsed record — and your pay slip will no longer be a surprise.

Official source: Law No. 13/2023 (Labour Law) is available as a PDF on the website of Mozambique's Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo): official text (PDF).