How to Register a Business in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire

Five additional high-growth markets, each with specific registration requirements: ETHIOPIA: Commercial Registration and Business Licensing Service (CRBLS) manages registration. Foreign investors must obtain an investment permit from the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC) before registering. For Ethiopian nationals: Business name or Private Limited Company (PLC). Minimum capital requirements vary by sector. Timeline: 5–10 working days. ERCA (Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority) registration for TIN follows automatically. Key consideration: certain sectors are restricted to Ethiopian nationals or require joint ventures with Ethiopian partners. TANZANIA: Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA) manages registration, available online (brela.go.tz). Company registration costs TZS 80,000–150,000 depending on structure. Registration time: 3–7 days online. Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) TIN registration is a separate step (takes 2–3 days at TRA offices or online). Business licence from the Business Licensing Registration Authority is required for most commercial activities. Foreign investors must also register with the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC). UGANDA: Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) manages registration via the URSB online portal. Company incorporation costs UGX 205,000 (approximately $55). Timeline: 3–5 working days. Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) TIN registration follows; also required: a trading licence from the local government authority for your business location. SENEGAL: Registrar of Commerce and Personal Property Credit (RCCM) manages registration under the OHADA legal framework. The Maison de l'Entreprise du Sénégal (MES) provides a one-stop-shop for business creation. SARL (equivalent to private limited company) is the most common structure, with minimum capital of FCFA 1,000,000 (approximately $1,600). Timeline: 3–5 days. Tax registration (Direction Générale des Impôts et Domaines) follows registration. CÔTE D'IVOIRE: Centre de Promotion des Investissements en Côte d'Ivoire (CEPICI) provides a one-stop registration service (online at cepici.gouv.ci). SARL registration costs approximately FCFA 50,000–100,000. Timeline: 24–72 hours for CEPICI one-stop. Côte d'Ivoire is part of the UEMOA monetary zone — the CFA Franc provides currency stability within the zone. --- *Track 1 — I am just starting out · Registering and Setting Up Your Business · Article 18.* Browse related [funding opportunities](/opportunities) on MaxWith filtered to your country and sector.