Describes how widely eCommerce is used, the primary sectors that sell through e-commerce, and how much product/service in each sector is sold through e-commerce versus brick-and-mortar retail. Includes what a company needs to know to take advantage of e-commerce in the local market and , reputable, prominent B2B websites.
Last Published: 3/26/2019

Côte d’Ivoire‘s relatively good telecommunications infrastructure and growing Internet market have laid the groundwork for the further development of e-commerce. 

Internet penetration has continued to climb sharply, and the rise of mobile  phone internet accounts for much of this growth.   The use of VOIP for international calls (first in call centers and now in homes and businesses) has also increased tremendously.   No special restrictions on this service have been imposed.

Banks also have started implementation of telephone, Internet and SMS banking, in addition to ATM service.   Two cell phone service providers, Orange and MTN, have partnered with banks to give customers the ability to make small payments, money transfers and utility bill payments over mobile phones.   In 2008, MTN acquired AFNET (an internet service provider) and Arobase Telecom (a telecom company with a fiber-optic network), to allow for greater integration of services.   The cell phone firm Moov partners with the post office to transfer money through the postal service network.  The government granted 3G licenses in 2012, and an undersea cable project (African Coast Europe-ACE) by France Telecom will extend broadband internet access and the provision of multi-play services with the convergence of land line, internet and mobile.  The government’s plan to build 7,000 km of fiber optic to promote a wide coverage of access to telecommunication services, is ongoing and expected to complete by the end of this year 2018.  Thus far, more than 2,000 km of fiber optic has been installed.  According to data from the National Telecom Regulator, ARTCI, the estimated cellular penetration rate was 97.5% in 2014 ; 99.5% in 2015 and 100% in 2016.  The West Africa Central Bank, Banque Centrale des Etats de l‘Afrique de l‘Ouest (BCEAO), has an inter-bank automated payment system to reduce delays in bank settlement operations.  The electronic payment system has helped promote swift e-commerce though credit cards are still rarely used in Côte d‘Ivoire.  In 2014, MTN teamed up with the online retail shopping, Jumia (www.jumia.ci) to offer a comprehensive service to users both online and on their mobile.  Côte d’Ivoire has access to PayPal , but access is limited to only buying and sending money.  At present, more than ten online retail shopping websites have opened and usage by Ivoirians is increasing.

Côte d’Ivoire remains a regional hub for e-Commerce as well.  WAEMU has its Interbank Electronic Banking Group (Groupement Interbancaire Monétique_GIM-UEMOA) in Abidjan and Côte d’Ivoire accounts for over 40% of its activity.  It is standardizing many operations, such as e-payment and internet payment of taxes and utility bills (www.gim-uemoa.org).
 

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.