• Gabon to digitize payments for online visa applications via mobile money
  
  
• Move supports broader push to modernize public services and reduce delays
  
  
• Part of national strategy to boost digital economy and cut reliance on oil
  

The Gabonese government is preparing to digitize payments for its online visa application system. The subject was discussed on Friday, November 21, during a meeting between Mark Alexandre Doumba (photo, center), Minister of Digital Economy, Digitalization and Innovation, and mobile money operators Airtel Money, Moov Money and Clikpay Money.

According to the ministry, enabling electronic payments is an “essential step toward providing a fully digital service that is faster, smoother and more transparent.”

The initiative fits into Gabon’s broader digital strategy. The government aims to make digital technology a core driver of socioeconomic development and to reduce the country’s dependence on extractive industries. In September, Gabon adopted a new legal framework to regulate and accelerate the digital transformation of public administration.

Digitizing payments is a key part of this modernization effort. In late October, authorities launched a pilot to digitize social and tax contributions, with a full rollout scheduled for January 2026. Earlier this year, Gabon also partnered with Visa to develop digital solutions for modernizing tax collection, automating fund disbursements and deploying a secure digital identity.

Officials say that digitizing payments will benefit the state “by reducing the costs and delays linked to administrative procedures, improving the quality of public services and strengthening citizens’ trust in public administration.” They added that wider digital payment adoption will support economic development by making transactions easier, attracting investment and creating jobs.

Isaac K. Kassouwi