General Overview

Electronic commerce is not widely used in the Republic of the Congo. The internet penetration rate is one of the lowest in Africa due to lack of reliable infrastructure and equipment. However, the country made a huge investment for broadband internet. The Republic of the Congo is in the process of expanding broadband access by connecting to the 2Africa subsea cable system. Also, the government drafted an ambitious program for the development of internet services.

Legal & Regulatory

Ecommerce is unregulated in the Republic of the Congo. There are no specific laws or regulations that are geared toward eCommerce.

Consumer Behavior

Purchasing online is a growing trend within the Congolese market. Lot of Congolese are buying online, although this market is not regulated, and we do not have current statistics to corroborate this fact. Most online purchase are done through WhatsApp or Facebook. Paying online remains a challenge so most of these online purchases are paid through cash after product delivery.

Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual Property Rights in this market are set by a regional body based in Yaoundé, Cameroon called OAPI (Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle).  

Digital Marketing & social media

Most online sales in the Republic of the Congo happen on WhatsApp and Facebook but paying remotely is still a challenge.  

Local service providers overview 

There is no significant or unique-to-your market service providers on the Congolese market.