Gabon is a French-speaking nation in Central Africa. The country is known for its stellar wildlife, beaches, and scenery.
Libreville, the capital of Gabon, as the National Arts Museum and the famous Mont-Bouët market. The Lopé National Park is a gigantic park with elephants and gorillas.
You have plenty of other national parks, such as Ivindo National Park, Akanda National Parl, and Loango National Mark.
For beaches, try out Plage du Dahu in Port-Gentil. You will have a good time in Gabon.
What may ruin your post-holiday experience is dealing with an expensive roaming bill you get from roaming with your provider in Gabon. Roaming can be expensive in many cases, which is why many travelers prefer to buy local SIM cards in Africa, including Gabon, to enjoy domestic rates.
In this article, I will go over everything you need to know about buying a SIM card in Gabon. Let's go.
Original publication: 21st of March 2020. Last updated: 15th of January 2024.
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Telecom Providers in Gabon
Gabon has 2 telecom providers: Gabon Telecom and Airtel Gabon. There used to be a 3rd one called Azur Gabon, but they, unfortunately, shut down in 2018.
Best SIM Card Gabon
If you want to buy a SIM card in Gabon, I would recommend going with Gabon Telecom because they have the best coverage throughout the country and sometimes offer lower prices than Airtel, their only competitor.
SIM Card Registration Regulations in Gabon
Like most countries in Central Africa, and Africa in general, you have to show your passport when buying a Gabonese SIM card. In addition, you have to present 2 copies of your passport and a copy of your visa. It is recommended to get these copies ready before heading to the store to buy a SIM card.
- Find out which countries have SIM card registration regulations and what is required from you (lookup tool)
Besides that, there is not much more to say about Gabon, so let’s see what Gabon Telecom and Airtel Gabon have to offer to us.
Gabon Telecom
Gabon Telecom is the largest operator with a market share of around 60%. It used to be called Libertis, and you may still see some stores with the Libertis sticker on their windows. Coverage with Gabon Telecom is good in the big cities and towns. In the smaller ones, you will only have 2G, which is useless for data, or nothing at all.
SIM Card Price – Gabon Telecom
Gabon Telecom SIM cards are sold for 1000 CFA ($1.65) in their stores. Recharge cards are sold from 500 CFA up to 30 000 CFA. To top-up, you have to dial *123*VoucherCode#. For example, if your voucher code is 123456, you would dial *123*123456#. To check your balance, dial #111#.
- Find out how much SIM cards cost in every country, including data-only SIM cards and tourist SIM cards, offered by each mobile operator + information about starter benefits (lookup tool)
Gabon Telecom sells many types of data packages. Some last up to a week, others up to 15 days, and many 30 days. The following data packs can be bought, which have to be activated by dialing *222#.
The following short-term Gabon Telecom data packs are available:
- 200 CFA: 20 MB for 2 days
- 350 CFA: 40 MB for 3 days
- 500 CFA: 130 MB for 1 day
- 500 CFA: 60 MB for 5 days
- 1000 CFA: 300 MB for 2 days
- 1500 CFA: 500 MB for 3 days
- 2500 CFA: 1 GB for 3 days
- 4500 CFA: 2 GB for 7 days
You can also get any of these medium-term Gabon Telecom data packs:
- 1000 CFA: 130 MB for 10 days
- 2000 CFA: 300 MB for 14 days
- 8000 CFA: 5 GB for 15 days
Finally, these monthly Gabon Telecom data packs can be bought:
- 3000 CFA: 600 MB
- 4000 CFA: 1 GB
- 6000 CFA: 2 GB
- 10 000 CFA: 4 GB
- 15 000 CFA: 10 GB
- 20 000 CFA: 15 GB
- 30 000 CFA: 25 GB
- 50 000 CFA: 50 GB
If you like being up at night, you can get a data pack for during the night (12 AM until 6 AM). 250 CFA for 500 MB and 500 CFA for 1 GB. These packs can be used for one night only.
Airtel Gabon
Airtel Gabon, just Airtel, is the smaller player in Gabon. Their coverage is slightly worse than Gabon Telecom. However, they are still a good option, even though they are sometimes a bit more expensive than Gabon Telecom.
Just like with Gabon Telecom, coverage with Airtel is good in the big cities and big towns. Villages and rural Gabon only have 2G or no coverage at all. Be aware of this.
SIM Card Price – Airtel Gabon
Airtel SIM cards are sold for 500 CFA in Airtel stores. Top-up cards can be bought all over the country. To check your balance, dial *137#.
- Find out how much SIM cards cost in every country, including data-only SIM cards and tourist SIM cards, offered by each mobile operator + information about starter benefits (lookup tool)
You can get one of the many data packs Airtel offers. Short-term ones, medium-term ones, monthly ones, and even 2 packs that will last you 2 months. You activate any of Airtel’s data packs by dialing *111*1#.
These short-term Airtel data packs can be added to your SIM card:
- 250 CFA: 25 MB for 2 days
- 500 CFA: 60 MB for 5 days
- 1000 CFA: 300 MB for 2 days
- 1000 CFA: 650 MB for Saturday & Sunday (once)
- 1500 CFA: 500 MB for 3 days
- 2500 CFA: 1 GB for 3 days
- 4000 CFA: 1.5 GB for 7 days
- 5000 CFA: 2 GB for 7 days
You can also get these Airtel data packs that will last you up to 15 days:
- 1000 CFA: 100 MB for 14 days
- 1200 CFA: 150 MB for 14 days
- 8000 CFA: 5 GB for 15 days
Staying in Gabon for a month? Then these monthly Airtel data packs are for you:
- 2000 CFA: 250 MB
- 4000 CFA: 1 GB
- 5000 CFA: 1.2 GB
- 10 000 CFA: 4 GB
- 20 000 CFA: 10 GB
Exploring Gabon for 2 months or just need a lot of data? Then these Airtel data packs are interesting for you:
- 40 000 CFA: 40 GB for 60 days
- 90 000 CFA: 200 GB for 60 days
Are you a night owl? Then you can get 800 MB for 300 CFA or 2 GB for 600 CFA to be used between 12 AM and 6 AM.
WhatsApp lovers who do not need data for anything else can get a daily WhatsApp pack for 250 CFA with 20 MB.
The Preferred Way to Stay Connected When Traveling in Gabon
Getting a SIM card from Gabon Telecom would do you well when considering a Gabonese SIM card.