Commercial Guide
IX - Business Travel
Business Customs
Doing business is quite formal in Burkina Faso. Greetings and titles are part of the formalities. No verbal transaction between two people takes place unless greetings have been exchanged, including the shaking of hands. It is polite to greet an official or send correspondence using a title rather than a proper name.
The telephone has made inroads in Burkinabe daily life, especially among civil servants in the capital, but much business is still conducted face-to-face. Meetings may involve a large number of people who speak formally and at length on a given subject. Meetings between a handful of people usually conclude with the formal exchange of business cards. Organizational hierarchies are widely respected, and accomplishing a task or getting information quickly requires approaching the appropriate person.
Travel Advisory and Visas
There is no advisory warning against travel in Burkina Faso. Visas and yellow fever inoculations are required for entry.
Holidays Business Infrastructure
Ouagadougou’s international airport is served by several weekly domestic and international flights. Public transportation, even in the capital, is unreliable since buses, taxis, and often roads are run-down. Rental cars and all-terrain vehicles are expensive but available, usually at hotels that cater to business people and tourists. Two passenger trains leave Ouagadougou each week for Côte d’Ivoire, and freight trains leave daily.
French is Burkina Faso’s official language. The local language, More, is widely spoken in Ouagadougou, with Dioula being widely spoken in Bobo-Dioulasso.
Local medical services are limited. Unwashed fruits and vegetables and undercooked meats are not safe to eat. Tap water is not potable. Bottled mineral water is available at hotels, restaurants, and some retail shops.
Chloroquine-resistant malaria is prevalent in Burkina Faso, and malaria suppressants should be taken. Vaccinations and precautions against other illnesses are recommended for travel in rural areas.
Local papers are published daily and weekly in French in Ouagadougou. Radio stations broadcast news and music in French and local languages. The national television channel carries local news. Hotels, bars, and private residences often subscribe to French television channels.
About Burkina Faso
Commercial Guide
Background Notes
More Information
Gov’t Reports
