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Burundi national eCommerce Ecosystem

23
Local eCommerce
platforms
19
Payment systems providers
18
Local and Cross-Border Logistics Stakeholders
10
Regulatory and Arbitration Institutions

About US

🌐 Burundi’s National E-commerce Ecosystem is an inclusive, open and collaborative framework established by consensus among public and private sector stakeholders committed to promoting e-commerce nationwide.

🎯 Its mission is to pool efforts and resources to build a secure, reliable and accessible national e-commerce ecosystem for all, while fostering shared governance.

🚀 Led by the Burundi ICT regulator (ARCT), with the participation of the Burundi Central Bank (BRB), the Burundi Revenue Authority (OBR), the Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burundi (CFCIB) and the ICT Sectoral Chamber, and with technical support from Burundi Shop, this initiative was launched on 23 November 2023 during a meeting held to reflect on the contribution of ecommerce to the national economy.

🔗 Since then, the initiative has progressively expanded, bringing together more than 70 public and private institutions actively engaged in its development. This process has consolidated the initiative into a permanent and dynamic consultation framework through which stakeholders collectively and collaboratively address the full range of challenges related to the development of e-commerce in Burundi.

🤝 The ecosystem works closely with the relevant sectoral ministries, particularly:

❖ The Ministry responsible for Trade:
↳ Contributing to the development of sectoral policy for e-commerce.

❖ The Ministry responsible for Finance and the Digital Economy:
↳ Contributing to legal and tax reforms, as well as customs procedures.

❖ The Ministry responsible for Foreign Affaires and Regional Integration:
↳ Promoting collaboration with relevant regional and continental sectoral frameworks and mechanisms.

🏛️ Today, Burundi’s National E-commerce Ecosystem serves as a fundamental strategic framework built on synergies between the public and private sectors. 

💡 By bringing together multisectoral expertise and fostering meaningful public-private dialogue, Burundi’s National E-commerce Ecosystem lays the foundation for coordinated and inclusive governance that drives innovation, attracts investment and expands digital inclusion. Aligned with regional and continental policy frameworks, it strengthens Burundi’s e-commerce Ecosystem, supports its digfital transformation and enhances its competitiveness across Africa.

Stakeholders

The National E-commerce Ecosystem of Burundi brings together key stakeholders involved in the operation, regulation and dispute resolution of e-commerce. These stakeholders are organized into five working groups:

1

Loclal Marketplaces

Twenty-three local companies in the sector have already joined the group. Of these, nine have submitted their declaration dossiers to the certification jury: three have been declared compliant, while the remaining six are still under review. The other participating companies are in the process of preparing their dossiers. Meanwhile, the others are upgrading their platforms to meet the technical and operational requirements set out in the Guidelines of Burundi’s National E-commerce Ecosystem.

Guided by the principles of resource-sharing and complementarity, they have agreed to structure their platforms around different market segments, with each participant specializing in a specific area. This approach aims to foster the development of diverse, complementary sector-specific platforms while establishing a single gateway to the full range of national e-commerce solutions. It is designed to facilitate access, increase the visibility of local offerings and strengthen the competitiveness of Burundi’s e-commerce sector.

2

Payment Services Providers

Ce groupe réunit les principaux fournisseurs de services de paiement digitaux au Burundi, incluant banques commerciales, institutions de microfinance, opérateurs de paiement mobile et passerelles de paiement.

19 institutions (banques, microfinance, opérateurs des paiements mobile et passerelles de paiement en ligne) travaillent actuellement à la mise en place de systèmes de paiement e-commerce locaux, conformes aux exigences du Guide pratique de l’écosystème national de commerce électronique du Burundi et alignés sur les normes en vigueur dans le secteur.

3

Delivery Logistics Stakeholders

This working group brings together the main digital payment service providers in Burundi, including commercial banks, microfinance institutions, mobile payment operators and payment gateways.

Nineteen institutions, including banks, microfinance institutions, mobile payment operators and online payment gateways are currently working to develop local e-commerce payment systems that comply with the requirements set out in the Guidelines of Burundi’s National E-commerce Ecosystem and align with applicable industry standards.

4

E-commerce regulators

E-commerce regulatory institutions in Burundi play a key role in promoting and overseeing the development and adoption of digital commerce across the country.

This working group brings together the main institutions responsible for the governance and regulation of e-commerce-related services in Burundi, including:
🔧 ARCT (Agency for Regulation and Control of Telecommunications) : Responsible for technical oversight and the regulation of telecommunications-related services.
💳 BRB (Bank of the Republic of Burundi) : Responsible for the regulation and oversight of payment systems and services.
🧾 OBR (Burundi Revenue Authority) : Responsible for taxation and customs-related matters.
🏢 Independant Commission of Competition (CIC) : Responsible for overseeing contractual compliance, ensuring that parties fulfil their contractual obligations, and protecting consumers.

Learn more about the roles of each regulatory authority within Burundi’s National E-Commerce Ecosystem

5

Mediation and Arbitration Chamber

This working group brings together the Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Burundi (CFCIB) and the sectoral chambers involved in e-commerce, including ICT, banking, microfinance, logistics and customs.

Our sponsors

This initiative has been made possible through the support of voluntary sponsors who contribute freely and without any contractual obligation.

We express our sincere gratitude to all stakeholders who support this initiative with generosity and conviction.

We also invite any company or institution wishing to contribute to this collective effort to join us and help advance the development of Burundi’s National E-commerce Ecosystem.


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Contact

Physic Address :

C/0 ARCT
14, Avenue de France,
Bujumbura, Burundi

Phone:

Tél. +257 22 25 56 67
Mob. +257 69 33 34 56

E-mail:

info@arct.gov.bi
christian.n@arct.gov.bi

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