Hire in Ghana
Republic of Ghana, 33 million population, $2,360 GDP per capita. Everything you need to know about employment law, tax, compliance and hiring in Ghana.
Capital
Accra
Currency
Ghanaian Cedi (GHS)
Languages
English
Time zones
UTC+0 (GMT)
Hiring overview
- Typical time to hire
- 1-2 weeks for contractor, 2-4 weeks for full-time
- Entity requirement
- Ghanaian limited company. Registration at Registrar General's Department.
- EOR available
- Yes, from $399/employee/month through a Corpshore entity
- Contractor of record
- Yes, from $39/worker/month
Employment law
- Standard workweek
- 40 hours (8 hours/day, 5 days)
- Maximum weekly hours
- 40 hours
- Minimum annual leave
- 15 working days after 12 months
- Public holidays
- 13 per year
- Maternity leave
- 12 weeks at full pay (Labour Act 2003)
- Paternity leave
- No statutory provision
- Notice period
- 1-3 months depending on contract and seniority
- Severance
- No statutory severance; contractual or collective agreement terms apply.
- Probation
- 6 months typical (contractual)
- Overtime rules
- 1.5x (overtime), 2x (Sundays/public holidays). Overtime is voluntary.
Tax overview
- Income tax range
- 0% to 35%
- Corporate tax
- 25%
- Social contributions
- SSNIT (pension): 13% employer + 5.5% employee. NHIA: 2.5% employer.
- VAT / GST
- 15% (standard) + various levies
- Tax year
- Calendar year
- Treaty network
- ~15 tax treaties
Compliance landscape
- Worker classification
- Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) governs. Distinction between employee and independent contractor based on control test.
- Data protection
- Data Protection Act 2012 (Act 843). Data Protection Commission enforces.
- Right to work
- Work permit and residence permit required for non-Ghanaians. Quota system for foreign workers.
- Non-compete
- Generally enforceable if reasonable under common law principles.
- Collective bargaining
- Protected under the Labour Act. TUC (Trades Union Congress of Ghana) is the main federation.
Payment rails
GhIPSS (Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System) handles clearing. Mobile money is the dominant payment method (~60% of GDP flows through mobile money). Wise supports GHS.
Key considerations for hiring
- English-speaking West African nation with one of the continent's most stable democracies
- Mobile money penetration is extremely high, led by MTN MoMo
- Accra is becoming a tech hub with Twitter (now X) choosing it for its African HQ
- Growing BPO and tech outsourcing sector for English-language services
Business and cultural context: Ghana
Business culture
Warm, hospitable, and respectful of elders. English is the business language. Relationship-building is important before business discussions.
Key industries
Talent pool strengths
Historical context
Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence (1957, under Kwame Nkrumah). Its democratic stability (seven successive peaceful elections since 1992) makes it one of Africa's most attractive business environments. The discovery of Jubilee oil field (2007) added energy to an economy traditionally built on gold, cocoa, and timber.
Ready to hire in Ghana?
Use our EOR service from $399/month and we handle employment law, payroll, tax and compliance in Ghana for you.