Invest in Gabon

A changing Country, Gabon is planning to invest 21 billion USD over the next years to strengthen infrastructures and support non-oil growth poles.

Invest in Gabon


A growing economy

Undergoing a transition since 2009, the Gabonese economy enjoys a strong growth of 5% on average over the period 2010-2016.
 Gabon is committed, since 2009, in a dynamic of diversification, intended to revitalize its economy and gradually reduce its historical reliance on the exploitation of oil.
The economy of the country will then be based on three strong pillars: industrial, Green Gabon, and Gabon for Services Providing. This new dynamic is part of a sustainable path with the establishment of the foundations of sustainable development. A new effort to both public investment and private was also conducted to build a productive economy. Gabon has thus key infrastructure to enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of its economy. This dynamic has allowed the outbreak of several streams, engines of growth, helping to transform the country into a high value added, diverse and sustainable economy.

Industrie - Gabon
Industrie - Gabon

A favorable business environment

Gabon has modernized its business environment thanks to the:

  • Implementation of one-stop-shop for companies rationalizing the business environment support process,
  • Restructuring of the Chamber of commerce strengthening inter-firm links and structuring the clusters of sectoral activities,
  • Revision and updating of sectoral codes facilitating the establishment of companies.

The following codes have been updated or revised:
Code of hydrocarbons, mining, forestry, tourism, agricultural and finally water and urbanism.

A special economic zone at the service of the industrials

A special economic zone at the service of the industrials. Gabon pays special attention to industry, for which it has implemented the Economic Zone in Nkok (ZERP) privileged regime. Located only 18 kilometers away, the Port of Owendo, the largest of the country, the Nkok ZERP is a multisector industrial park integrated services with higaadded value for manufacturers: a platform with infrastructure and facilities in the world, a legal status and attractive tax incentives and easy access to the natural resources of Gabon.

Industrie - Gabon

Political and social stability

Since its independence, Gabon enjoys political and social stability through a social pact based on solidarity, dialogue and social cohesion. With strong institutions and an independent and impartial justice, the country is the best interms of governance in Central Africa according to the Mo Ibrahim index of 2015. Never having experienced armed conflict, Gabon stands as a model for peace in Africa and elsewhere in the world.

Carte score mobile - Gabon

A strategic positioning

Located at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and the Congo basin, Gabon is an ideal gateway on the market of CentralAfrica (ECCAS) of 145 million consumers. The country represents an exception for exports on the world platform.

A huge natural potential

Gabon is covered by 23 million hectares of rainforest, equivalent to 85% of its area. This forest is part of the continuum of the Congo forest basin, which is the second “green lung” of the world, after the Amazon.
With its 850 km of maritime littoral, of its 20 000 km2 of development friendly natural pools, aquaculture and a very diverse biomass Gabon also has fishing potential. Moreover, with rainfall ranging from 1800 and 4000 mm of water per year and 5.2 million hectares of arable land, Gabon has very favorable agricultural conditions. Gabon also has a high mineral potential with a basement that is very rich in mineral resources, diversified including gas, manganese, gold and iron.

The wood sector

Covering 85% of the territory, the Gabonese forest is home for more than 400 species including noble species very popular such as the Kevazingo, the Wengué and Moabi.
The sector of wood is one of the most important employers in Gabon with about 12,000 people for a surface operated 12 million hectares of forest.
She is also the second activity in developing natural resources, after the
oil represents 4% of the GDP and 60% of non-oil exports.
In 2009, Gabon has defined a new strategic orientation of its sector wood to create more value with fewer resources,while increasing the capacity of
creation of wealth and jobs. This goal is achievable byapplying the rules of sustainable management of forest concessions, transforming on-site throughout the
resource levied, in improving the performance of production material and focusing it on products with higher value added.
Several measures have been implemented by the Gabonese Government to promote the rise of the chain of value by operators in the sector wood. Those include: stop the exportof logs (2010), the application of incentives for the transformation of wood (2012) and the implementation ofthe PPP of the ZERP Nkok.

These resulted in positive developments such as the rise of production and the value of the lumberyard and sawn wood. However, efforts must be continued. The arrival of new investors and strengthening the ecosystem of existing operators will be a priority.

The agriculture field

With a wet equatorial climate, high rainfall (1 803 mm/year) and about 5 million ha of arable land (or 20% of the total area), Gabon has important potential for the development oft he agricole industry. Despite this potential, agriculture represents only 3.6% of GDP and only 186 000 hectares are cultivated constantly. Also, Gabon is an importer of food products with an annual bill amounting to $ 650 million.
Gabon has the ambition to achieve food self-sufficiency by 2025, highlighting more than 560 thousand hectares of land for intensive exploitation of plant and animal industries. The agricultural sector will also support the development of agribusiness sectors of palm oil, rubber, sugar and processed local food (flour of cassava, fruit juice, cold cuts,etc.). 250 thousand hectares of agricultural land are already built and ready to be given to potential investors. Indeed the State will make available to investors of the parcels of arable land (between 8,000 and 10,000 hectares) to develop both food crops than those intended for export.
Key programs have been implemented to revive the industry. Among these, the seed program, launched in 2014 in partnership with OLAM, has the ambition to build 200thousand hectares of agricultural land into parcels with land titles, which will be awarded to members of the program(target of 25 thousand members), grouped into agriculturalcooperatives.
The revitalization of the agricultural sector will thus go through close collaboration between the State and private investors.

Plantation de manioc au gabon agriculture naturelle

The Fishing industry

Gabon has a very important fishing potential. With its 850km of maritime littoral, of its 20 000 km2 of development-friendly natural pools, aquaculture and a very diversebiomass the country has all the assets to ensure self-sufficiency in its consumption of fish products and export tothe regional and international markets.
The fishing industry contributes weakly to the Gabonese economy with only 0.1% of GDP. To ensure its consumption level local, Gabon, therefore, imports the products of the sea for an annual average bill of 25 million dollars per year. The new strategic direction taken by Gabon aims to double the production of the sector and to triple the income generated by it by 2025. The dynamization of the sector goes through the landing on the national territory of 100% of the catches of fishing in the Gabonese waters, and local transformation of a significant proportion captured into great local products consumption, for the national and international market.

Gabon has thus strengthened the institutional and legal framework for the sector and has invested in the in required frastructures for the development of the sector.Thus the prerequisites for the revitalization of the sector are being implemented, with particular landing infrastructure construction in Owendo. Gabon is also engaged in a strategy of investment promotion in the context of PPP. With Tropical Holding, the State has thus formed an ambitious PPP to industrialize the sector. Gabon encourages private investment so as at the same time to set up the pre-requisites for the development of the sector as the landing ports and boost production, with the development of aquaculture units.

Pêcheur Gabonais

Mining sector

Gabon has at its disposal a rich soil with mineral resources with more than 900 mining index, among which the most important are: manganese (a stock of about 250 millions tones) , iron ( a stock of more 1 billion tones) , gold and scarce soil. However, the mining sector in Gabon essentially depends on manganese exploitation and contributes slightly to the Gabonese economy with 4% of GDP. In the angle of doing this sector a major bedrock its economy. Gabon has defined two strategic orientation: valued added optimization by local transformation and the diversification of the mineral exploitation (iron, gold, phosphate, scarce soil, construction, building materials, and manganese).

Thus, Gabon has engaged in a series of investment that led to the construction of a hydroelectric barrier designed for supplying energy in two transformation factories of manganese that were set up in 2014 and which transform nowadays 10% of the annual production. Moreover, Gabon has reinforced the governance of its mining sectors namely by the revision of the mining Code in process in view of changing the business sector to one attracting more investors. Gabon is engaged to strive towards that dynamic in order to develop that sector thanks to diversification of mining exploitation and local transformation.

Minerai de manganèse extrait d'une mine au gabon

The property situation

Gabon is an urbanized country at 85%, one of the highest rates in the world. However, the action is experiencing a deficit of urban development and has not developed the potential of the real estate sector, despite a real demand from households and institutional operators.

Demand in the property market is high with a housing deficit for households valued at more than 50,000 dwellings, mostly in the social housing segment. A percentage of 40 million USD per year for a location, and the private sector more than 48 million USD per year.

The revitalization of the real estate sector is part of a strategy of urban redevelopment in the Political and the Economic capitals of the country: in Libreville and Port-Gentil.

Libreville has many assets to win, in the international competition of African cities that attract investment, talent and capital, as a hub of business, recreation and tourism in Central Africa. Gabon intends to promote an ecosystem and a business model that will revitalize real estate development in Port-Gentil and Libreville, with the aim of facilitating access to social housing for households and increasing the supply of office properties.

Port

The Digital industry

Gabon is banking on the digital sector to make it a growth engine and an accelerator for other economic sectors.The state has thus set up critical prerequisites for the development of the digital economy by defining an institutional framework for the information society and building world-class digital infrastructures (deployment of optical fiber over a linear 1075 km as part of the Central African Backbone-Phase 1 project or 4G deployment).

The establishment of these bases has allowed the digital sector to be one of the most dynamic in recent years. In 2016, a Gabonese adult has an average of two telephone subscriptions and the penetration rate of the mobile Internet is 75%. Similarly, Gabon has one of the highest mobile-money penetration rates in Africa, alongside countries like Kenya. The use of digital networks, especially the Smartphone, has reached a level that now makes it a mass support for online services. The state has started the dematerialization of administrative services with the establishment of the first e-government services: e-tax and e-visa.

Gabon is also positioning itself as a regional center of excellence for space observation activities with the Gabonese Agency for Space Studies and Observations (AGEOS), which is dedicated to the exploitation and enhancement of satellite data. In order to strengthen the national digital ecosystem, Gabon has identified 3 projects with high impact on the Gabonese economy for which the country is actively seeking partners.

The Tourism sector

Gabon is equipped with a significant tourist potential. The country is 80% covered by a tropical forest rich in biodiversity. Its fauna and flora represent the largest concentration of forest elephants on the continent, about 20,000 gorillas and more than 700 species of birds, 70 species of reptiles, 190 species of mammals, chimpanzees, mandrills and hippos, and thousands of endemic plant species. This natural heritage is made up of 13 national parks representing 11% of the total area of ​​the country.

The cultural wealth of the nation is just as important and goes back at least 400,000 years. Ancient archaeological discoveries and a historical mix of cultures from different origins gave birth to Gabon to a dynamic mix of some 40 ethnic groups with different languages ​​and traditions.

Building on its strengths, the country has a unique opportunity to build a sustainable tourism industry. Gabon intends to become by 2025, the first ecotourism destination and the crossroads of business tourism and events in Central Africa.

Gabon is committed to improving the country’s visibility as a tourist destination and enhancing the value of current tourist sites. These orientations materialize through targeted investments and the implementation of tourist circuits offering quality infrastructure and services quality.

Chute d'eau au Gabon, cascade, escapade en forêt équatoriale

Hydrocarbons and Petrochemicals sector

Although Gabon is in a dynamic of the diversification of its economy in order to depend less on the variation of oil prices, the hydrocarbons sector remains a driving force of growth. “Fuel from emergence”, this sector must continue to expand and attract new domestic and international investors, particularly in the exploitation of gas.

Gabon has therefore put in place a strategy to promote the sector and in particular the potential of the Gabonese sedimentary basin in deep and deep waters, to international investors. The sedimentary basin in the deep waters of Gabon lies in a continuum of the Gulf of Guinea, where several important discoveries of oil tankers have been made in recent years. It is therefore likely to make new discoveries of exploitable deposits. This prospect has been attractive to many investors in Gabon.

Several initiatives have been undertaken to make Port-Gentil a real petrochemical cluster by 2025 that depends little on the evolution of oil prices. Negotiations are underway with private partners for the creation of a Special Economic Zone at île Mandji, a logistics platform, for the development of a petrochemical sector. First generation investments are in advanced preparation stage, including a nitrogen fertilizer production unit and a new oil refinery.

Gabon aims to develop both offshore oil exploitation and a strong domestic petrochemical sector through the production of natural gas.

Plateform pétrolier puissant les fonds marins pour extraire l'or noir

Transport and logistics sector

The Transport and Logistics sector must perform well to support the country’s economic diversification and improve the overall competitiveness of the economy. Also, in the last decade Gabon has begun a process of developing its network of multimodal infrastructures facilitating the movement of people and goods throughout the country.

Between 2009 and 2015, transport supply grew strongly in all areas, notably thanks to the 74% expansion of the road network and the renewal of the Gabonese Transport Company’s fleet, the ongoing rehabilitation of the Transgabonais which will double its capacity, and the construction of a new international airport in Port-Gentil. The country’s two main commercial ports (Owendo and Port-Gentil) have also undergone major modernization work to improve Gabon’s logistical competitiveness by reducing freight costs and delays.

The port of Owendo has undergone many transformations, including the creation of storage warehouses, logistics zones and the rehabilitation of port roads. Port expansion works are currently underway as part of the GSEZ public-private partnership. This investment will increase the capacity of the port and provide Owendo with a landing infrastructure for fishing catches, in addition to new storage and disembarkation facilities. The Port-Gentil commercial port has also benefited from extension and modernization works.

Gabon has thus embarked on a drive to strengthen its transport and logistics sector in order to enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of the national economy.

Bateau Import Export décharge marchandise

Water and energy supply sector

In order to meet energy needs by 2025-2030, Gabon has to produce around 1,200 MW of energy. Thus, in order to cover the entire need of Gabon with a competitive, sustainable and job-creating offer, three new hydroelectric dams will be built with private instruments over the 2016-2020 period: the Ngoulmendjim dam in Estuaire (73 MW) and the dams of the Falls of the Empress (80 MW) and Dibwangui (30 MW) in the Ngounié. 80% of the energy consumed in Gabon comes from a renewable and less expensive source. An integrated national network will feed the different areas of the country following the route of major infrastructure corridors.

In terms of water Gabon also aims to increase its production with the construction of water production plant Ntoum 7 and the mobilization of water Kango, to ensure universal access for all to water . 140000m3 of additional drinking water will be produced daily to supply Libreville.

Centrale Hydroélectrique - Gabon

Gabon, a land of opportunity

Businesses creation

HOW TO CREATE A COMPANY OR A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY (LTD OR INC.)?

Go to the ANPI-Gabon One-Stop-Shop to explain your project to the Manager, then:

Get the list of the papers to provide

Constitute the file

Return to the One-Stop Shop with the documents to be provided and the amount

Of fees for the constitution of your company

  • 3 Registration application forms to be withdrawn from ANPI-GABON’s Business Creation Desk;
  • 5 Declaration of Incorporation Forms (M0), to be deleted at the commercial registry of the Business Creation Desk of ANPI-GABON;
  • 1 Company headquarters lease plan to be withdrawn from ANPI-GABON’s Business Creation Desk;
  • 2 Copies of the subscription contract or the latest SEEG receipt;
  • 2 Extracts from the criminal record of the Manager or the General Administrator + 1 copy. In case a declaration on honor (valid 75 days) to be withdrawn from the business of the counter of the creation of the companies of ANPI-GABON;
  • 3 Copies of the valid identity card of the director or deputy head (national identity card or driving license or passport for Gabonese.) Residence card or passport with current visa of validity for foreigners)
  • 2 Copies of the prior authorization or technical approval, if your activity is subject to specific regulations (Health, Education …), Issued by the relevant departments.
  • 8 Copies of your status. To be legally certified by the ANPI-GABON Law Advisor
  • Register them to the fiscality Department ;
  • 3 copies for you conformity and regularity declaration
  • 3 copies of your business Associates list ;
  • Other fees;
  • ANPI-GABON fees: 50.000Fcfa for the Gabonese, 200.000Fcfa for foreigners ;
  • Business registry fees : depending on your Capital (Minimum 25.000Fcfa) ;
  • Fiscality registry fees for your status : 20.000Fcfa ;
  • Recording of acts : 5000Fcfa/Act ;
  • Tax stamps : 500Fcfa (to be stamped on each of the status page) ;
  • Certificate of residence (DGDI) : 10.000Fcfa.

HOW TO CREATE AN INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS?

Go to the ANPI-Gabon One-Stop-Shop to explain your project to the Manager, then:

Get the list of the papers to provide

Constitute the file

Return to the One-Stop Shop with the documents to be provided and the amount

Of fees for the constitution of your company

  • 3 Application forms to be withdrawn from ANPI-GABON’s Business Creation Desk;
  • 5 Forms of declaration of constitution of natural person (P0), to be withdrawn at the registry of trade of the Window of creation of the companies of ANPI-GABON;
  • 3 Copies of the valid ID of the Manager (national identity card or driver’s license or passport for Gabonese.) Permanent residence card or passport with a valid visa for foreigners;
  • 2 Extracts from criminal record of the Manager and 1 copy. Otherwise, a declaration on honor(Valid 75 days) to be collected at the registry office of the Business Creation Counter of ANPIGABON;
  • 1 marriage certificate (if applicable);
  • 1 Certificate of Residence and a copy;
  • 1 Lease contract or lease certificate;
  • 2 Copies of the subscription contract or last SEEG receipt;
  • 1 Renting plan of the company’s headquarters to be withdrawn from the ANPIGABON Business Creation Center;
  • 2 Copies of the prior authorization or technical approval, if your activity is subject to specific regulations (Health, Education, etc.), Issued by the competent services.
  • ANPI-GABON fees: 25.000Fcfa for Gabonese 75.000Fcfa for foreigners ;
  • Business registry fees: 20.000Fcfa ;
  • Certificate of residence (DGDI): 10.000Fcfa.

Source : Alapaj

EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE OF THE GABONESE NATIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP