Mali Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in mali, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Digital Economy
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Overview

As a developing country, Mali imports almost all cutting-edge technologies. There is no local industry in the digital economy. To develop the sector, the transition government has focused on reinforcing the institutional framework, improving the regulatory environment, and developing foundational infrastructure.

Since 2017, The Malian government has created several new bodies to support the development of an institutional framework for its digital economy, including the National Directorate of Digital Economy in the Ministry of Communication, Digital Economy, and Modernization of Public Services. The Agency for the Management of Universal Access Fund (AGEFAU) was established to facilitate financing, expand access, and create a strategy for development of the digital economy in rural areas; the Agency for Information and Communication Technology (AGETIC) was created to improve Information and Communication Technology (ICT) penetration into public services. 

In 2011l, Mali’s government created a regulatory authority for telecommunications and ICT (AMRTP), to ensure regulatory compliance, equal treatment of companies, and oversee technical specifications. The Malian Transmission and Diffusion Company (Société Malienne de Transmission et de Diffusion, SMTD), a state-owned company in charge of developing digital infrastructure, has been tasked with implementing the government’s ambitious “Mali Numérique 2020” project, which envisions laying 817 km of fiber-optic cable to connect Mali with  Senegal and Mauritania. Mali Numérique 2020 also includes plans for a cutting-edge data center, as well as a video monitoring system in Bamako, and a platform to produce e-IDs. 

Private companies play an important role in the digital sector, and the sector is open to foreign companies. All telecommunications companies, both foreign and Malian, must apply for a renewable license to operate. However, the government awards these licenses at its own discretion through an open bid. Mobile banking is a growth sector, powered by increasing internet penetration and limited access to traditional banking services; in particular, companies offering money transfer services have seen increased competition.   

Mali’s government closely oversees the digital sector and has created a special court to investigate cybercrimes. The sector also provides revenue to the government; in February 2025, the government increased the telecom company turnover tax from 5 to 7 percent and created a 10 percent tax on phone calls and a one percent tax on mobile money transfers.

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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.

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