Almot Maqolo, Staff Writer 
THE National Social Security Authority (Nssa) is set to extend social security coverage to informal workers, with plans to launch a pilot scheme in 2025 before expanding it nationwide.
This move aims to address a long-standing challenge faced by developing countries — how to provide social security for informal sector workers.
The country’s informal sector is vast, with the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) estimating the labour force at 4,1 million. Of this, 3,3 million individuals are employed, but only about 1,2 million of them receive social security coverage under Nssa schemes.
Nssa’s director for social security, Shepherd Muperi, emphasised the exclusion of informal workers from these benefits.
“This is a scheme that we would want to tailor-make to suit their unique characteristics. We actually engaged Zimstat as a consultant to do a nationwide survey to capture the priority social security needs of people in the informal economy,” Muperi said.
According to Muperi, Zimstat has completed the data collection phase and is preparing the report.
“After this, we will engage stakeholders extensively before proceeding with the scheme’s design,” he added.
The informal worker scheme is one of Nssa’s top priorities as part of broader efforts to enhance workplace safety and health monitoring.
“We believe that by 2025, we should be able to roll out the scheme on a pilot basis before scaling it up to the national level,” Muperi stated.
Nssa is also advocating for the passing of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Bill, which seeks to improve workplace safety standards across the country.The proposed law aims to align Zimbabwe’s health and safety regulations with global standards, addressing critical issues such as child labour, hazardous substances, and safety in high-risk sectors like mining and agriculture.
From 2019 to 2023, Zimbabwe recorded an average of 4 622 disabling injuries and 65 occupational fatalities annually, prompting industry leaders to call for stronger safety measures.
The proposed reforms are expected to address these concerns and provide better protections for workers, particularly in sectors prone to workplace hazards.
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