Côte d'Ivoire app library

1% on transfers, free deposits and withdrawals

Landed in Côte d'Ivoire in 2020 and forced the whole industry to cut prices. The small kiosks bearing its penguin logo now form the country's densest branch network.

Transfer 1% (capped at 5,000 FCFA) · Free withdrawal · Support 1315

About 13.8 million active accounts, the country's largest cash-out network

The pioneer of Ivorian mobile money, launched in 2008. Its orange kiosks blanket cities and villages alike; an ID document is enough to open an account in minutes.

Lite / Full / Youth accounts · Linked Visa card · Around 40,000 agent points

0% on deposits and in-app withdrawals since August 2025

E-money wallet launched in 2009. For its 20th anniversary in Côte d'Ivoire, MTN announced in August 2025 that deposits and in-app withdrawals would be free. Pays CIE, SODECI and Canal+ bills.

Transfer 1% (capped at 4,500 FCFA) · Free receiving · USSD *133#

About 2.9 million active accounts, cross-border transfers across West Africa

Moov Africa's wallet, priced on a tiered schedule. It keeps a loyal user base in areas where Orange and MTN coverage is thinner.

USSD *155# · Tiered withdrawal fees · 200,000 FCFA monthly cap if unidentified

Homegrown Ivorian fintech: account, Visa card and savings in one app

A digital account built for freelancers and small merchants. It bridges mobile wallets and traditional banking: IBAN, physical Visa card and scheduled savings.

Interoperable with mobile wallets · Physical and virtual Visa card · Savings and budgeting tools

Bulk payment infrastructure for businesses and institutions

A Dakar-born fintech handling bulk payments — payroll, suppliers — for Ivorian companies, while also offering individuals collection and savings features.

Bulk payroll · API integration · SMEs and institutions

Ivorian banking group, combining branches with digital channels

Personal and business accounts in Côte d'Ivoire and several West African countries. Its app covers transfers, bill payment and account management, with bridges to mobile wallets.

Transfers · Bill payment · Interoperable with mobile wallets

Société Générale's Ivorian subsidiary, strong with corporate clients

One of the country's largest banks. Its app covers balance checks, transfers, card management and loan applications, backed by a dense branch network.

Account management · Card control · Loan applications

Pan-African group: cross-border transfers and multi-currency accounts

Operating in more than 30 African countries, it is widely used in Côte d'Ivoire for regional transfers. Ecobank is also among the first institutions certified on PI-SPI's Business APIs.

Regional transfers · Multi-currency · PI-SPI Business API participant

The most widely used payment gateway in Côte d'Ivoire

One integration to collect Wave, Orange Money, MTN MoMo, Moov Money and bank cards — the default choice for Ivorian e-commerce and SaaS.

Aggregated collection · Webhooks · Free sandbox

Homegrown digital bank: accounts, transfers and microcredit

Abidjan-based Groupe Cofina is a leading mesofinance and transactional-services group in West and Central Africa. Cofina Mobile / Cofina Online offer round-the-clock account access, transfers, bill payment and microcredit applications without a branch visit.

Accounts · Transfers · Bills · Microcredit

Rides, food delivery and courier in a single app

Yango took the lead in Abidjan on price and localisation. French interface for both riders and drivers, payable in cash or via mobile wallet.

Ride-hailing · Deli delivery · Courier · Cash or wallet payment

Focused on night rides and low fares, popular with young users

A ride-hailing platform with roots between Abidjan and Paris. It attracts drivers with lower commissions; getting home from Cocody or Yopougon at night is its signature use case.

Night rides · Low fare tiers · Lower driver commission

The go-to for airport runs and expat users

Less widespread than Yango in Abidjan, but still the reference for airport runs, business travel and expat users, with an interface and account that work worldwide.

Airport transfers · Business travel · Global account

Used by 98.3% of young people — the national messaging tool

Data bundles that zero-rate it have made it the national reflex: family groups, business groups and delivery coordination all happen here.

Messaging · Voice notes · Groups · WhatsApp Business

94% of young people — home of local communities and second-hand trade

Marketplace and local groups are where people actually buy and sell used phones, furniture and vehicles. Many small businesses have no website — just a Facebook page.

Marketplace · Groups · Business pages

74.1% of young people, skewing female and under-25

Short video has become mass entertainment in Abidjan. Local creators and small shops use it to sell, and content in French or Nouchi spreads fast.

Short video · Live shopping · Local creators

The shop window for fashion, food and small brands

Abidjan's fashion designers, restaurants and hair salons find customers here: order by DM, pay by mobile wallet — that is the usual loop.

Posts · Reels · DM ordering

First choice for large files and interest communities

Free-data offers and unlimited file size make Telegram widespread among students, tech circles and resale groups.

Large files · Channels · Groups

A steady presence among urban teenagers

Filters and disappearing messages appeal to younger users. Usage is markedly higher among urban high-schoolers than in rural areas.

Disappearing messages · Filters · Teen audience

The entry point for white-collar hiring and B2B

Abidjan's banks, telcos and multinationals recruit here, and it is the main channel for local B2B sales outreach.

Recruiting · B2B outreach · Professional profile

Africa's largest marketplace, operating in Côte d'Ivoire for years

Phones, appliances and fashion: the catalogue is broad, payment goes straight through mobile wallets, delivery covers Abidjan and major cities, with a pickup-point and returns network.

Online shopping · Wallet payment · Home delivery or pickup point

Restaurants, supermarkets and pharmacies delivered in minutes

In Abidjan it covers Cocody, Plateau, Marcory and other main districts. Couriers are paid per delivery and customers settle by mobile wallet or cash.

Food · Grocery · Express courier

Francophone Africa's largest classifieds community

Classifieds across a dozen Francophone African countries (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal…). Used cars, rentals, phones, appliances — the lot. In Côte d'Ivoire, second-hand trade and rentals lean heavily on it, with direct buyer-seller contact via WhatsApp.

Second-hand · Rentals · WhatsApp contact

The first stop for music, tutorials and news

Data costs push users toward low definition and offline downloads. Local artists premiere their music videos here.

Video · Music · Offline download

Africa's homegrown streaming service, deepest in Francophone music

Its catalogue covers coupé-décalé, zouglou, afrobeat and other local styles, with a data-saving mode. Hugely present on Android.

Music streaming · Local genres · Data-saving mode

Free offline listening, a hub for African hip-hop and rap

Offline downloads without a subscription — the main way budget-conscious young users listen to local rap and mixtapes.

Offline playback · Free · Local hip-hop

Global catalogue, officially available in Côte d'Ivoire since 2024

Ivorian users previously relied on VPNs or local alternatives. Since the official launch, subscriptions have grown steadily, with podcasts a second growth driver.

Music · Podcasts · Ad-supported free and paid tiers

Mobile plan and offline downloads adapted to local networks

Its low-cost mobile plan is priced for the market. Offline downloads are the norm, and French-language originals are increasing.

Series and films · Offline downloads · Low-cost mobile plan

Friendly to low-end Android phones, one of Africa's most played games

Light and undemanding, it is massively installed among Ivorian teens and young adults, and a fixture in cybercafés.

Light install · Runs on low-end devices · Competitive multiplayer

Abidjan's addressing is complex, making navigation essential

Street numbering is incomplete, so a meeting point is often described as 'street X, near the pharmacy'. Sharing a pin has become standard, for meeting up and for deliveries alike.

Navigation · Location sharing · Business listings

The national carrier, serving West Africa and domestic cities

The Ivorian national airline, hubbed in Abidjan, flies across West Africa (Dakar, Lagos, Accra…) and to domestic cities such as Bouaké, Korhogo and San-Pédro. Its site and app handle booking, online check-in and ticketing, and mobile money is accepted.

Check-in · Booking · Mobile-money payment

One place for SIM, data plans and account self-care

One of Côte d'Ivoire's largest operators. The My Orange / Mon Espace app handles SIM activation, data top-ups, billing and ties into Orange Money. A passport is enough to open an account in a shop — often the first thing to do on arrival.

SIM activation · Data top-up · Billing

Second operator, self-care and MoMo wallet in one

MTN is a leading operator. The myMTN app combines line management, data plans and the MTN MoMo wallet. Open an account in-store with an ID; coverage is solid in Abidjan and major cities.

Line management · Data plans · MoMo wallet

Official exam results and admission portal

The National Office for Exams and Competitions: students and families check BEPC, BAC and other results and admissions via the website and SMS. A fixture of local and school life.

Results · Admissions · SMS alerts

National employment agency: jobs and training

The National Employment Agency (ANPE) publishes job offers, vocational training and registration, online and through local branches. Useful too for expatriates hiring or job-seeking locally.

Job offers · Training · Registration

Hotels and short stays across every Abidjan budget

The international booking standard: hotels, homes and apartments in Abidjan and major cities, with free cancellation and flexible payment — the go-to for short stays and in-between housing.

Hotels · Homes · Free cancellation

Short and long stays, good for families and relocations

In big cities like Abidjan, Airbnb ranges from a room to a whole apartment — handy for a relocation phase or family trips. Check reviews and host responsiveness before booking.

Whole-home · Long stay · Reviews

Live rates and offline conversion, essential on arrival

XE gives live and offline conversion between the West African CFA franc (XOF) and euros, dollars and more — handy for quick cost estimates. The euro and XOF are pegged (1 EUR = 655.957 XOF).

Live rates · Offline · Multi-currency

French translation and camera mode, with offline pack

French is the official language. Google Translate handles text, voice and camera translation; download the French offline pack and you can read signs and menus even without a connection.

Text / voice / camera · French offline

Pick up basic French in small doses

To get a feel for French sounds and basics before you land, Duolingo's game-like course is a low-effort start. Paired with daily local use, progress comes quickly.

Gamified course · Beginner French

Visa application and biometric centre

Several embassies in Côte d'Ivoire outsource visa intake and biometrics to VFS Global. Europe- and UK-bound applications often go through its Abidjan centre. Confirm with the relevant consulate.

Visa appointment · Submission · Biometrics