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How to start a business in Gabon as a foreigner (2026)

Starting a business in Gabon as a foreigner: moderate.

Gabon has substantially streamlined company formation via ANPI's digital GNI portal, enabling registration in 24-72 hours for most entity types. Foreign investors face no general ownership caps in most sectors, though petroleum and certain other sectors carry specific government participation requirements, and some laws on local majority ownership remain unsettled. A new Investment Code adopted in draft by the Council of Ministers in March 2025 aims to further modernize and clarify the framework.

Last verified Official sources first · MethodologyCompare Gabon with other countries

Legal framework

OHADA Uniform Act on Commercial Companies (Acte Uniforme OHADA relatif aux sociétés commerciales); Gabon Investment Charter (Loi N°15/1998); ANPI-Gabon single-window GNI digital platform; draft new Investment Code adopted by Council of Ministers March 2025

Key points: starting a business in Gabon

  1. Digital one-stop registration

    The GNI (Guichet Numérique de l'Investissement) platform operated by ANPI-Gabon allows entirely online company formation in 24-72 hours, covering RCCM registration, NIF tax number, and CNSS social-security enrollment in a single workflow. Gabon launched this as the first sub-Saharan African country to fully digitalize and bancarize business formalization simultaneously, effective June 2023.

    gni-anpigabon.com gouvernement.ga investingabon.ga

  2. Foreign ownership rules

    No statutory cap on foreign ownership or control exists in most sectors; foreign firms operate on the same legal footing as Gabonese companies. However, the U.S. State Department's 2025 Investment Climate Statement notes that in certain cases Gabonese law may require local majority ownership, and the relevant provisions remain 'unsettled or unclear.'

    state.gov state.gov

  3. Petroleum & extractives carve-out

    The government automatically holds a 20% stake in all petroleum development, with Gabon Oil Company entitled to acquire up to an additional 15%, capping total government participation at 35%. Mining and real estate carry additional ownership and control regulations.

    state.gov state.gov

  4. Minimum capital requirements

    Under OHADA rules as applied in Gabon: SARL (LLC) requires XAF 1 million minimum share capital; SA (public limited company) requires XAF 10 million divided into shares. General and limited partnerships have no statutory minimum. Administrative formation costs range from XAF 200,000 to XAF 500,000.

    tradeclub.stanbicbank.com kreston.com

  5. New Investment Code (2025)

    On 6 March 2025 the Gabonese Council of Ministers adopted a draft loi portant cadre général de l'investissement, replacing the 1998 Investment Charter. It introduces three investment regimes (droit commun, régimes spécifiques, réinvestissement), a new 'Agrément Investisseur' instrument for priority projects, and updated fiscal and customs incentives.

    gabon-newsroom.com investissement.gouv.ga directinfosgabon.com

  6. Post-transition political context

    Following the August 2023 military transition (CTRI), President Oligui Nguema was elected in April 2025; the 2025 U.S. State Department Investment Climate Statement notes strong policy continuity with the transition period, no expropriation of foreign firms in 2024, and the government's stated focus on diversifying the economy and restoring investor confidence.

    state.gov state.gov

Sources

  1. state.gov/reports/2025-investment-climate-statements/gabon
  2. state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/638719_2025-Gabon-Investment-Climate-State
  3. gni-anpigabon.com/user-manual
  4. gouvernement.ga/2025/08/18/gni-anpi-gabon/
  5. investingabon.ga/
  6. investissement.gouv.ga/code-des-investissements
  7. gabon-newsroom.com/2025/03/gabon-investissement.html
  8. directinfosgabon.com/le-projet-de-loi-sur-le-code-de-linvestissement-sur-la-table-du-gouve
  9. tradeclub.stanbicbank.com/portal/en/market-potential/gabon/incorporation
  10. kreston.com/doing-business-in/gabon/
  11. dgi.ga/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/LOI-N%C2%B015-1998-INSTITUANT-LA-CHARTE-DE

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Orientation, not legal advice: verify against the primary sources linked above. Last verified 24 May 2026. Methodology & how to cite · State of Technology Regulation 2026