How SMEs can register a business in Burkina Faso

Starting a business in Burkina Faso does not have to mean spending days moving between different government offices. The country has a one-stop system, the Centre de Formalités des Entreprises (CEFORE), where entrepreneurs can handle most of the main steps needed to register a business. For an SME owner, the process starts with choosing how to set up the business.

If you are starting the business on your own, you can register an individual enterprise. This is the simpler option for someone who plans to run the business personally. If you are starting with other people, you can register a company. Burkina Faso has several company structures, including the SARL, SA and SAS. Your choice matters because it determines the documents you need and how you will run the business.

Check your business name

Once you know what you want to register, check the business name. CEFORE lets entrepreneurs check whether a name is available and reserve it before they continue with the registration. It is worth doing this early. There is little point preparing the rest of your paperwork only to find that another business already uses the name you wanted. For an individual enterprise, the paperwork is relatively straightforward. You will need an identity document or passport, a recent criminal record extract, proof of residence and photographs.

You also need to show where you will operate the business. You can use a commercial lease, property documents or, in some cases, a recent water or electricity bill in your name. Companies require more paperwork. The directors need to provide identification documents and criminal-record extracts. You will also need the company’s statutes and documents covering its capital and business premises. The exact requirements depend on the type of company you want to register.

Register through CEFORE

This is where Burkina Faso’s system makes things easier for a new business. CEFORE brings several registrations together, so the entrepreneur does not have to deal with each institution separately. The process includes registration with the Registre du Commerce et du Crédit Mobilier (RCCM), getting an Identifiant Financier Unique (IFU) for tax purposes and registering with the Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS). An individual entrepreneur can also get a professional merchant card. You can start the registration online through the CEFORE platform and collect the completed documents through the MEBF’s offices.

What does it cost?

The current CEFORE platform lists the cost of registering an individual enterprise at 47,380 CFA francs. For a company, the listed cost is 65,540 CFA francs for the RCCM, IFU and CNSS registrations. If you include the professional merchant card, the listed amount rises to 83,430 CFA francs. These figures cover the registration costs. They do not cover everything an entrepreneur might spend to get the business running. Depending on the business, you could also have to pay for licences, permits, premises and equipment.

Some businesses have extra requirements

Registering the business does not automatically give every type of business permission to operate. Some industries require additional licences and approvals. An entrepreneur should therefore check the requirements for their particular business before starting operations. A small trader will not necessarily face the same requirements as a business operating in a regulated sector.

For someone starting a small business in Burkina Faso, the process comes down to a few steps. Choose the business structure, check and reserve the name, gather the documents and submit the application through CEFORE. Once the process is complete, the business has its commercial registration and tax identification. For an SME that is starting to deal with larger customers, suppliers or institutions, these documents can also help show that the business exists and operates formally. The important thing is to choose the right structure at the beginning. Changing the way you set up the business later can mean more paperwork and additional costs.