Burkina faso Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in burkina faso, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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eCommerce
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General Overview

Burkina Faso’s eCommerce market is in its early stages but has strong growth potential, driven by increasing mobile penetration and a young, digitally savvy population. Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) transactions dominate, with growing interest in Business-to-Business (B2B) solutions. Popular online products include electronics, fashion, and beauty items, primarily purchased by urban dwellers and young adults with mobile access. The B2B sector is developing, focusing on supply chain logistics and digital infrastructure. The Transition Authorities are working on a legal framework for digital transactions and consumer protection, though it remains in progress. Mobile technology heavily influences consumer purchasing, with mobile money services like Orange Money and Moov Money leading the payment landscape. Cash-on-delivery is also widely used and trusted.

Social media platforms, particularly Facebook and TikTok, serve as informal marketplaces for B2C and C2C sales. American fintech company Wave has rapidly grown in the mobile money ecosystem by offering a flat one percent fee on transfers, significantly undercutting competitors. Wave’s success highlights the market’s openness to innovative, low-cost digital payment solutions and its collaboration with the Transition Authorities to improve financial inclusion.

Legal & Regulatory

The Transition Authorities have begun to develop a legal framework for digital transactions and consumer protection, though it is still evolving. There are no significant regulatory barriers specifically targeting U.S. firms at this time, but U.S. businesses should be aware of a developing legal environment. Laws related to consumer privacy and data protection are in a nascent stage. It is advisable to monitor local regulations to ensure compliance as the market matures.

Consumer Behavior

Consumer purchasing is heavily influenced by mobile technology, with mobile money services dominating the payment landscape. Orange Money and Moov Money are the two most prominent mobile money platforms. Cash-on-delivery is also a widely used and trusted payment method. Trends indicate a growing comfort with online shopping, particularly for goods that are difficult to find in local brick-and-mortar stores. Social media platforms, especially Facebook, are often used as de facto marketplaces for both B2C and C2C sales

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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