Success in Burkina Faso’s market depends on building strong personal relationships, patience, and understanding local business practices. Trust and hierarchy are culturally important, so visiting the country to establish connections is highly beneficial.
If not physically present, U.S. businesses should carefully vet and select a local agent who speaks French and understands local customs. A skilled, dedicated agent is essential for following up on proposals and identifying opportunities. Hard-selling approaches without relationship-building are often perceived as aggressive and counterproductive. Additionally, email is seldom used, and messaging on applications such as WhatsApp is preferred.
U.S. firms are encouraged to submit competitive bids for government tenders. While some European firms have established offices in Burkina Faso, opening a local branch is not required. Business negotiations are often slow, involving multiple meetings and consensus-based decision-making, which may require senior-level approval.
The U.S. Embassy’s Economic and Commercial section offers services such as Gold Key meetings with government officials and private sector representatives, International Partner Searches, and International Company Profiles (ICP) for company background checks. More information is available on the Embassy’s Business Tab.
French is the official business language, but local languages like Moore (Ouagadougou) and Dioula (Bobo-Dioulasso) are widely spoken. Regional differences in consumer preferences and distribution channels between Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso should inform targeted marketing strategies. Logistics remains a challenge due to Burkina Faso’s landlocked position, making strong transportation and warehousing partnerships critical for effective distribution.