Gabon bets on digital payments with the launch of MaDigiPaie 💳📲🇬🇦

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The Gabonese government is taking another step toward modernizing its financial infrastructure. With the launch of MaDigiPaie, authorities aim to secure public payments, reduce reliance on cash, and leverage mobile money—now deeply embedded in everyday life. The initiative is part of a broader push to digitize public administration and diversify the country’s economy.

MaDigiPaie: a platform to modernize public payments 🏦🔐

MaDigiPaie was officially launched on December 9 as a new digital platform designed to modernize and secure payments made to public institutions. It allows citizens to pay certain government-related fees electronically, eliminating the need for cash transactions.

The system relies on mobile money services and GIMACPAY QR codes, which users can scan to complete payments. These QR codes are gradually being rolled out to merchants and service providers across the country. More than 1,000 codes are already active, with nationwide coverage planned in the coming phases.

MaDigiPaie is being implemented in partnership with the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) and the Central African Monetary Union’s interbank network (GIMAC). This collaboration is intended to ensure payment interoperability while strengthening transaction security.

Mobile money at the heart of Gabon’s digital strategy 📱📊

The launch of MaDigiPaie comes amid rapid growth in mobile money usage in Gabon. According to official figures, the country recorded 4.5 million mobile money accounts by the end of 2024, representing a 27% increase year over year.

Not all of these accounts are actively used—around 1.6 million are considered operational. Still, transaction volumes remain substantial. In 2024, mobile money operators processed more than 368 million transactions, with a combined value of 4,087 billion CFA francs, up from the previous year.

Payments for goods and services have also seen notable growth, reaching 291 billion CFA francs in 2024—an increase of 15%. These figures underscore mobile money’s growing role as a key driver of economic activity and financial inclusion in the country.

Part of a broader digital transformation of the state 🏛️🌐

MaDigiPaie is not a standalone initiative. It fits into a wider series of digital reforms led by Gabonese authorities. On December 8, the government announced a partnership with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to strengthen the national digital financial services ecosystem.

The country is also working on digitizing payments linked to its electronic visa system. A pilot phase targeting social security and tax collection agencies began in late October, with a full nationwide rollout expected in January 2026.

In parallel, Gabon has partnered with Visa to modernize tax collection and automate certain public disbursements. The project also includes the development of a secure digital identity system. These efforts are aligned with an ambitious 2026 national budget exceeding 7,200 billion CFA francs.

Promised benefits—and real adoption challenges ⚖️📉

For the government, digitizing public payments is expected to reduce administrative delays, lower operating costs, and improve transparency—ultimately strengthening public trust in state institutions.

However, questions remain around actual adoption. The relatively low number of active mobile money accounts highlights a persistent gap between access and usage. Challenges include digital literacy, network coverage, and trust in fully digital systems.

Despite these hurdles, authorities argue that such reforms are essential. Their goal is to make digital technology a cornerstone of economic development while reducing Gabon’s dependence on extractive industries. In September, the country adopted a new legal framework designed to accelerate and regulate the digital transformation of public administration.

With MaDigiPaie, Gabon is clearly signaling its intention to place digital payments at the center of state modernization and economic reform.

👉🏾Do you think digitizing public payments can genuinely improve transparency and rebuild trust between African governments and citizens—or will adoption remain the biggest hurdle?