Burkina Faso is a landlocked nation in West Africa that is surrounded by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and the Ivory Coast to the southwest. Its population is 20,321,378 people. President Thomas Sankara renamed Burkina Faso from the Republic of Upper Volta (1958–1984). Burkinabé are its people, and the capital and biggest city is Ouagadougou.
The Mossi people, who inhabited the region in the 11th and 13th centuries, are the biggest ethnic group in Burkina Faso. They founded formidable kingdoms like Ouagadougou, Tenkodogo, and Yatenga. The French colonized Upper Volta as part of French West Africa in 1896; in 1958, Upper Volta became a self-governing territory within the French Community. It acquired complete independence in 1960, with Maurice Yaméogo as President. The nation was plagued by insecurity, droughts, famines, and corruption in its early years. Various coups have also occurred in the nation, including attempts in 1989, 2015, and 2022, as well as in 1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, and 1987. Thomas Sankara controlled the nation from 1982 until 1987, when he was assassinated in a coup orchestrated by Blaise Compaoré, who became president and reigned until his dismissal on October 31, 2014. Sankara initiated an ambitious socioeconomic agenda that included a statewide literacy drive, land redistribution to peasants, the development of railways and roads, and the prohibition of female genital mutilation, forced marriages, and polygamy.
Since the mid-2010s, Burkina Faso has been badly impacted by the emergence of Islamist terror in the Sahel. Several militias, some of which are affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) or al-Qaeda, operate over the border into Mali and Niger. More than a million of the country's 21 million people are internally displaced. The military and its "Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration" (MPSR) proclaimed themselves in power on January 24, 2022. The military had previously staged a coup against President Roch Marc Kaboré. The military junta reinstated the constitution and nominated Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba as temporary president on January 31.
Burkina Faso has a GDP of $16.226 billion and is classified as an LDC. Its population is made up of 63 percent Muslims and 22 percent Christians. Because of French colonization, French is the country's official language of government and commerce. Burkina Faso has 59 native languages, with Mooré being the most widely spoken, spoken by about half of all Burkinabé. The government is a semi-presidential republic with executive, legislative, and judicial powers. Burkina Faso belongs to the United Nations, the Francophonie, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. It has been expelled from ECOWAS and the African Union.
For one year of work, an employee is entitled to 22 days of paid leave, which does not require personal days, sick leave, or maternity leave. For 20 years of service, this leave rises to two days, four days after 25 years, and six days after 30 years. The start date for the leave must be agreed upon by both the boss and the employee. Before the leave starts, the company must pay the employee for the full period of the leave.
The following holidays are observed in Burkina Faso:
New Year
Revolution Day
International Women’s Day
Easter Monday
Labor Day
Ramadan or Aïd El Segheir
Feast of Ascension
Tabaski or Aïd El Kébir (Feast of Sacrifice)
Independence Day
Assumption Day
Anniversary of the 1987 Coup
Mouloud (Prophet Muhammad’s birthday)
All Saints Day
Proclamation of the Republic
Christmas Day
The arrival of the moon affects the dates of Muslim holidays, so they can alter. Legal holidays are compensated in accordance with existing law.
Employees have the right to take time off while they are sick. In most cases, an employer cannot fire an employee who has been away from work for a year due to illness. Employees are entitled to a bonus depending on their years of work whilst on maternity leave:
Paid sick leave is two months for employees with less than one year of seniority (full pay for one month and half salary for the next month).
Paid sick leave is four months for employees with one to five years of experience (full pay for one month, half salary for the next three months);
Paid sick leave is five months for employees with six to ten years of service (full pay for two months and half salary for the other three months).
Paid sick leave is six months for employees with 11 to 15 years of experience (full pay for three months, and half salary for the next three months); and
Paid sick leave is eight months after 15 years of work (full salary for four months, and half salary for the following four months).
After three months of work, female workers are entitled to 14 weeks of fully compensated maternity leave, which can begin as early as eight weeks before but no less than four weeks before the scheduled due date. If there are any complications with the delivery or any other health-related issues, the leave will be extended by an extra three weeks. When on maternity leave, qualified female workers in Burkina Faso receive 100% of their total covered earnings as well as a family pension through the country's social security system.
Male employers are entitled to three days of paid paternity leave without having to give notice of a child's birth. In the case of a sick boy, he is therefore entitled to a six-month medical leave, which includes one month's notice that can be extended up to a year.
Other than the already mentioned terms for maternity and paternity leaves, there are no provisions in the Burkina Faso law regarding parental leave.
Employers or employees may terminate an employment contract for misconduct, social or economic reasons, or at the end of the contract's term.
Termination of part-time definite contracts requires an eight-day written notice period for regular employees, one month for managers, supervisors, and technicians. No communication is required during the probationary term or in the event of serious employee misbehavior. A paid notice indemnification may be necessary in specific instances.
Probationary periods are based on the type of employee, but may not exceed three months.
Severance pay must be provided if the termination is not for gross negligence, theft, or willful damage to corporate property.
Burkina Faso's standard working hours vary by industry, but a 40-hour workweek is common.
Individual employment contracts or collective bargaining agreements typically define work hours and days, as well as overtime provisions. Young workers are subject to additional rules and restrictions.
Burkina Faso's compensation laws require that formal sector employees earn a minimum wage of 34,664 West African CFA francs per month. The minimum wage was last increased in 2012, but does not apply to agricultural workers or other informal workers. Employers must adhere to this minimum wage or to additional compensation guidelines outlined in a collective bargaining agreement applicable to them (CBA).
Employers are not required by law to provide health benefits to their employees. Furthermore, due to the complexities of the healthcare system, it is suggested that both employers and employees have private insurance.
Companies in Brunei are subject to a corporate tax rate of 27.5 percent.
Individuals in Burkina Faso are imposed an income tax rate that ranges from 0 to 25 percent. The actual percentage varies depending on the income tax bracket the individual belongs to.
The standard rate for the value-added tax (VAT) or goods and sales tax (GST) in Burkina Faso is set at 18 percent.
Before arranging a trip to Burkina Faso, make sure you have a visa. Burkina Faso's visa process is surprisingly straightforward. There are three kinds of travelers. The first group includes visitors from visa-free nations (there are 18 of them), whose residents may remain in Burkina Faso for up to 90 days. However, keep in mind that the period of stay allowed varies based on your nationality.
The second kind of traveler is one who is qualified for a visa on arrival—52 nations are eligible for such a document. The visa on arrival in Burkina Faso allows for a 30-day stay. Keep in mind that the number of entries and the validity period might have an impact on the cost of the visa on arrival.
People in the third and final group are those who are not qualified for either an exemption or a visa on arrival. As a consequence, all of these nations must visit a Burkina Faso embassy or diplomatic post.
Consult Burkina Faso's visa regulations to see which category you fall into.
In terms of prerequisites, your best bet is to call the embassy or diplomatic mission you want to visit for your in-person visa application procedure. We can provide some general information, but the most dependable and up-to-date source of information will always be the embassy or diplomatic mission itself. Nonetheless, we can promise you that you will require a passport that is valid for at least 6 months after your intended arrival date in Burkina Faso. There must also be at least one blank page.
The address of the employee and employer
Salary, payment method (check, bank transfer), payment duration
Benefits and sick leave days
Probation period (if applicable)
Working hours
The date of commencement (and end date if applicable)
Time of notice period
Fixed-term contracts must be in written and cannot last more than three years.
West African CFA franc (XOF)
The location of your office space is one of the most important elements in establishing your Burkina Faso subsidiary. Various cities and areas may function similarly to states, with their own laws governing incorporation. Before incorporating, always investigate a suitable place to determine whether it's simple or difficult to set up a subsidiary, or engage with a consultant who can identify the best locations.
When it comes to establishing a Burkina Faso subsidiary, you have several possibilities. Entities such as a limited liability company (LLC), a branch office, or a public limited company are permitted in the nation. Each structure has its own set of rules, regulations, and operational constraints that will affect how you manage your Burkina Faso firm.
Companies that want to stay in the nation for a long time generally seek to form an LLC. With an LLC, you may provide a diverse variety of goods and services, benefit from favorable tax regulations, and shield your parent business from liabilities. The following are the phases in the Burkina Faso subsidiary establishment process:
1. Opening a bank account in Burkina Faso
2. Depositing the bare minimum of share capital into your bank account
3. Providing documentation of your capital deposit
4. Creating an account with the Centres de Formalités des Entreprises (CEFOREs)
5. Applying for any required licenses
6. Obtaining a commercial license from the Ministry of Commerce
7. Registration for all accounting and tax obligations
The subsidiary laws of Burkina Faso vary depending on the kind of organization you pick for formation. For example, LLCs have different regulations than branch offices and public limited firms. To establish your Burkina Faso subsidiary as an LLC, you must have at least one director and one shareholder who may be of any country. To complete the procedure, at least $2,000 in paid-up capital must be placed in a local bank account.
LLC tax duties include selecting an auditor to submit yearly audited financial statements. According to OHADA regulations, you must also preserve your financial documents in French at your workplace. If you are not proficient in French, you will need to employ a staff or collaborate with a third party to maintain these declarations.
