Gabon - Banking - The rise of mobile finance

The rapid growth of mobile finance makes it an alternative to the traditional banking sector, thus providing access to a significant portion of the population.

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With banks heavily concentrated in the urban centers of Libreville, Port-Gentil, and Franceville, traditional financial institutions struggle to reach low-income customers, particularly in more remote areas.

Thanks to the wide telephone coverage, which in Gabon has a penetration rate of 195%, as well as its ease of use, mobile finance has reached remote and vulnerable populations, traders and employees.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Gabon saw its mobile money payment volume increase sixfold in 2020 due to Covid-19. To overcome the obstacle of a lack of physical bank branches in some areas, the authorities have enabled the development of mobile money.

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This volume of mobile payments could continue to grow, as Gabonese authorities aim to digitize payment methods in businesses. To this end, a working group tasked with designing a plan for deploying payment methods (e-money, e-banking, etc.) in businesses and companies was established in April 2021. The challenge will be to get these payment methods adopted by businesses and companies that are generally accustomed to handling cash.

The total value of mobile banking transactions in Gabon has grown dramatically in a very short time, competing with traditional banks by charging aggressive rates compared to commercial banks that face little competition and enjoy high margins.

The method of remuneration of each mobile finance company varies depending on the agreements with its business partners. For example, the operator may charge a commission on withdrawal/transfer transactions (charged to customers) and on bill payments (charged to partners).