Shopping in the Republic of the Congo

The shopping offer in the Republic of the Congo is fragmented. Food is available from public markets, neighborhood shops, supermarkets, and street vendors; goods may be sold packaged or loose. Personal-care products, household goods, cleaning products, and similar items can be found, among other places, in pharmacies, boutiques, and supermarkets. Clothing and technology are mainly offered through physical retail and import and dealer channels. Before buying imported goods, clarify the customs classification, import duties, delivery costs, warranty, and return process. Prepackaged goods must be labeled in French with, among other things, the designation, price, quantity, composition, origin, batch, manufacturer, production date, use, risks, and expiry date. Prices are generally stated in FCFA and must be visible. A receipt is provided for ordinary goods; an invoice can be requested. Prices are generally free, although exceptions may apply to certain essential goods. Online commerce is provided for by law, but in practice it remains small-scale and inconsistent. Sellers operate, among other ways, through Facebook, WhatsApp, or their own delivery services. Before making a payment, the seller should provide their name, place of business, address, telephone number, and an email address or post-office box. The offer should state the product characteristics, price validity, payment method, delivery period, complaints procedure, and withdrawal conditions. To place an order, the buyer usually needs a telephone, mobile data, an accessible delivery address, and, for Mobile Money, an active SIM or wallet. There is no uniform nationwide delivery period; logistics, addressing, import costs, and distance affect the process. Digital access is better documented in cities such as Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire than in rural areas. The electronic communications regulator (ARPCE) reported in 2025, based on 2023 data, around 3.75 million mobile internet subscriptions, a penetration rate of 59.7 percent, and approximately 1.69 million 4G connections. Cash and Mobile Money are particularly relevant in everyday life. MTN's MoMo mobile-money service (MTN MoMo) requires an active MTN SIM, the USSD code *105#, a merchant ID, and an SMS confirmation. Airtel's mobile-money service (Airtel Money) uses the code *128# and deposits or withdrawals through authorized resellers. Published standard tariffs state 0 FCFA for certain merchant payments, but fees and limits may change. Card and bank payments have not been established as a nationwide standard. PINs must not be shared; before confirming a payment, check the merchant ID, total amount, and delivery period. Consumer Law No. 36-2024 of 11 October 2024 protects, among other things, the rights to clear information, quality, safety, data protection, compensation, sustainable consumption, and withdrawal. For distance purchases, the buyer must generally be able to withdraw within 14 working days. The goods are generally returned within seven days after the withdrawal declaration at the buyer's expense, and the refund is made within 14 working days. Goods that do not conform to the contract can generally be returned within 15 working days, although return shipping costs may be an exception. Informal sellers do not reliably offer these rights or refunds. For a complaint, first contact the seller or merchant in writing and keep the receipt, Mobile-Money SMS, order, and delivery confirmation. If the issue remains unresolved, the Directorate General for Consumer Affairs and Commercial Fraud Control (Direction générale de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes commerciales) or the Ministry of Trade (Ministère du Commerce) may be contacted, and court action may also be considered. Consumer associations are permitted; a uniform national hotline or ombudsman service has not been verified. For imports, the customs classification, the CEMAC customs tariff, national taxes and fees, and the electronic channel for import, export, and transit (GUOT) are relevant, among other things. Decree No. 2011-485 regulates and prohibits certain plastic sacks, plastic bags, and plastic films, including oxo-biodegradable variants; practical enforcement is inconsistent. Reusable bags are therefore the more reliable choice. The rules on sustainable consumption and waste management supplement the consumer rights related to purchases.