Burkina Faso - Selling Factors and Techniques

Selling Factors and Techniques

Last published date: 2022-11-30

Burkina Faso has a very low literacy rate. While French is the official language, much of the population outside the major cities speak only local languages. It is therefore important that the product distributors, if the target market is the population at large, be knowledgeable about the product and be able to help the customer understand how it is used, in the local language.

Trade Promotion & Advertising

Local newspapers are published daily and weekly in French in Ouagadougou. Several radio stations broadcast news and music in French and in local languages. Radio broadcasts in local languages are the best way to reach an audience in rural areas. There are many private TV stations, although government TV offers the widest national coverage. Finally, French channels such as TV5 Monde and France24 are widely available in Burkina Faso and other countries in West Africa via satellite.

Local Newspapers:
Sidwaya
01 BP 507 Ouagadougou 01
Tel: (+226) 25 30 63 06; fax: (+226) 25 31 03 62
Contact: Rabankhi Abou-Bâkr Zida, Director General of Editions Sidwaya

L’Observateur Paalga
01 BP 584 Ouagadougou 01
Tel: (+226) 25 33 27 05 / 25 30 55 75; fax: (+226) 25 31 45 79
Contact: Edouard Ouédraogo, Director General
E-mail: lobspaalga@gmail.com

Le Pays
01 BP 4577 Ouagadougou
Tel: (+226) 25 36 20 46 / 25 36 17 30; fax: (+226) 25 36 03 78
Contact: Beldh’or Cheick SIGUE, Director General
E-mail: ed.lepays@cenatrin.bf/lepays91@yahoo.fr

L’Economiste duhttps://www.leconomistedufaso.bf/ Faso
03 BP 7138 Ouagadougou 01
Avenue John Kennedy, Koulouba
Tel: (+226) 25 33 33 50; fax: (+226) 25 33 22 88
Contact: Dominique Ducret, Director General

Reporter
01 BP 4636 Ouagadougou 01
Tel: (+226) 25 45 62 77
Contact: Boureima Ouedraogo, Director
E-mail: reporterbf@reporterbf.net

Bendré
11 BP 1256 Ouagadougou 11
Tel: (+226) 25 33 27 11
Contact: Inoussa Ouedraogo, Director
E-mail: younouss73@gmail.com

Le Quotidien
Tel: (+226) 25 41 99 71
Contact: Souleymane Traore, Managing Editor
E-mail: lequotidienbf@yahoo.fr

L’Express du Faso
01 BP Bobo-Dioulasso 01
Tel: (+226) 20 96 09 86 / 25 33 50 27
Contact: Jacques Bama, Managing Editor
E-mail: lexpress.faso@yahoo.fr

Courrier Confidentiel
01 BP 4636 Ouagadougou 01
Tel: (+226) 25 41 18 61
Contact: Hervé Taoko, Managing Editor
E-mail: contact@courrierconfidentiel.net

Pricing

Burkinabe consumers are very price-sensitive and price will likely be the most important competitive factor. Most transactions are subject to an 18% value-added tax (VAT).

The Burkina Faso government implements price controls on staple goods such as rice and cooking oil, administered and enforced by the Inspection Générale des Affaires Economiques (IGAE). This agency is also in charge of regulations relating to quality and standardization and in maintaining an effective competition regime.

As a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (ECOWAS), Burkina Faso observes the WAEMU common external tariff. The ECOWAS common external tariff also took effect on January 2015. It is planned that trade in goods and services throughout the region will be further liberalized.

Sales Service/Customer Support

The concept of customer service and support is not well established, but because most businesses are small, consumers expect some sort of informal customer support.

Local Professional Services

A local attorney and/or notary may be required to secure or close a contract. There are about 30 practicing law firms and eight public notaries registered in Burkina Faso. The Embassy Consular Section maintains a list of registered lawyers who have indicated that they would like to work with American clients.

Most lawyers do not speak English, but translation services are available. Upon request, the Embassy can provide the names and addresses of the most experienced bookkeepers, notaries public, engineering consulting offices, and translation services. Such inquiries can be made by contacting the Embassy Economic and Commercial Section by phone at (+226) 25 49 53 00, or by e-mail at amembouaga@state.gov.