• Senegal drafts new Advertising Code to modernize 1983 framework
• Law aims to regulate digital ads, influencers, and social media platforms
• Market growth, mobile use, and online reach drive urgency for reform

The Senegalese government presented a draft bill for a new Advertising Code at the Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday, November 12.

The meeting, chaired by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, set the groundwork for a new legal framework intended to modernize and regulate Senegal’s advertising and communications sector, according to the public broadcaster RTS.

The draft bill represents a major step toward updating the current framework, which dates back to 1983 and is now outdated because of the rise of digital campaigns, social media influencers, and online advertising platforms. Based on reforms carried out in other African countries, the new code is expected to clarify the obligations of advertisers, agencies, and media outlets while strengthening social responsibility across the sector.

No information has yet been released about the content of the bill or the timetable for its review by the National Assembly. Several steps remain before final adoption, including obtaining an opinion from the Constitutional Council and the President’s promulgation.

Expectations are high, as the bill addresses a rapidly growing and diversifying advertising market. A 2024 analysis by Korhogo Agency, a digital marketing firm, estimated that Senegal’s influencer advertising market would reach about 2.8 million dollars by 2025, with annual growth projected to exceed 10 percent.

According to the same source, the broader digital advertising market, which covers banners, search, and other formats, already generates tens of millions of dollars. Growth is being driven by the increasing use of mobile phones and social networks. Facebook alone reached 18.7 percent of Senegal’s population in early 2025. The proposed code seeks to align the legal framework with this rapid digital transformation.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou