• Government launches MaDigiPaie to modernize and secure public payments

• Initiative expands QR-based mobile money payments through GIMACPAY nationwide

• Move aligns with broader digital-transformation reforms across public services

The Gabonese government officially launched the MaDigiPaie program on Tuesday, December 9, an initiative designed to modernize and secure public payments. The program forms part of the national digital-transformation strategy, which aims to expand the use of digital payments across the public sector.

Implemented in partnership with the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) and the Central African Interbank Monetary Group (GIMAC), MaDigiPaie allows citizens to make payments through mobile money by scanning a GIMACPAY QR code. More than 1,000 QR codes have already been deployed with merchants and service providers, and rollout is continuing nationwide.

The launch follows the government’s announcement on December 8 of a partnership with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to strengthen the digital financial services ecosystem. On November 21, Gabon also announced a new project to digitize payments for electronic visa applications.

At the end of October, the government began a pilot phase to digitize social and tax payments, with full deployment scheduled for January 2026. Earlier in the year, authorities engaged with U.S.-based Visa to develop digital solutions aimed at modernizing tax collection, automating fund disbursements, and introducing a secure digital identity system. These reforms accompany efforts to digitize revenue collection ahead of the 2026 budget, set at CFA7,233.3 billion (about $13 billion).

These initiatives reflect Gabon’s ambition to make the digital economy a central pillar of socio-economic development and to reduce the country’s dependence on extractive resources. In September, Gabon adopted a new legal framework designed to accelerate digital transformation across public administration.

Digitalizing payments and financial transactions is a core component of this strategy. Authorities believe this modernization will reduce administrative costs and processing times, improve the quality of public services, and strengthen citizens’ trust in government systems.

However, the rapid expansion of digital payments raises questions about the population’s ability to adopt these services. Although the Ministry of Economy reported 4.5 million mobile money accounts at the end of 2024, only 1.6 million were considered active. Operators processed 368.3 million transactions in 2024, with a total value of CFA4,087 billion, up from CFA3,487 billion in 2023. Purchases of goods and services reached CFA291 billion in 2024, an increase of 15%.

Isaac K. Kassouwi