Two operators, split almost evenly
The Autorité de Régulation des Communications Electroniques et des Postes, ARCEP, publishes a quarterly mobile market report. For the first quarter of 2026 it counted 3,223,137 declared mobile subscriptions at the end of March, of which 98.18 per cent were prepaid and 1.82 per cent postpaid. By operator, Airtel Gabon had 1,606,353 and Gabon Telecom Mobile, which the report also calls Moov Africa Gabon Télécom, had 1,616,784. ARCEP gives those as 49.84 and 50.16 per cent of the total.
ARCEP notes that these figures count active SIM cards declared by the operators, including the multiple SIM cards of individual users, and it calculates a penetration rate of 178.79 per cent on a population figure taken from the 2013 census. They are subscription counts, not coverage maps, and prepaid is how almost everyone in Gabon buys mobile service.
Airtel's WAMI 4G internet bundles
Airtel Gabon's prepaid internet page lists its WAMI 4G bundles in a table with a price and a validity for each. At the time of checking, the shortest were hourly: 100 MB for 150 and 500 MB for 500, each valid for one hour. One-day bundles ran from 400 MB for 1,000 to 1 GB for 1,500, and 3-day bundles from 350 MB for 1,000 to 2.5 GB for 2,500. The price column is headed Prix and the page gives no currency, so this guide does not name one.
Weekly bundles lasted 7 days: 300 MB for 1,000, 750 MB for 2,000 and 4.5 GB for 5,000. Monthly bundles lasted 30 days and ran from 600 MB for 2,000 and 1.5 GB for 4,000 up to 7 GB for 10,000, 20 GB for 20,000 and 50 GB for 40,000, with a 150 GB bundle for 90,000 valid for 60 days. Compare volume and validity together before buying: a one-day 400 MB bundle is listed at 1,000 and a one-day 1 GB bundle at 1,500.
The page also lists further service categories, namely CPT Internet, a free Facebook offer, internet settings and a weekend bundle, but it did not show their prices in the part we read.
Airtel's Mix bundles and quintuple-credit offers
Airtel's voice and combo page lists two families of offers. The Mix bundles combine minutes towards Airtel numbers, data and text messages. At the time of checking, 150 FCFA bought 8 minutes, 10 MB and 45 SMS for one hour, and 1,000 FCFA bought 90 minutes, 500 MB and 140 SMS for 3 days. At 2,000 FCFA the bundle gave 210 minutes, 1,024 MB and 200 SMS for 7 days, and at 10,000 FCFA it gave 1,020 minutes, 8 GB and 1,000 SMS for 30 days. The 20,000 FCFA bundle listed 540 minutes, 18 GB and 1,500 SMS for 30 days.
The quintuple-credit offer works differently. It credits calling value for all networks within Gabon at five times the amount paid: 500 FCFA gives 2,500 FCFA of credit until midnight, 1,000 FCFA gives 5,000 for 2 days, and 10,000 FCFA gives 50,000 for 30 days. The 5,000 and 10,000 FCFA tiers add 400 and 1,000 free SMS. The page has headings on who qualifies and when the promotion runs, but the answers were not shown, so check the current terms on Airtel's page or in a shop before relying on them.
What we could not confirm: eSIM, registration and Moov Africa
We found no page on Airtel Gabon's website offering an eSIM to visitors. Its home page advertises a free SIM with triple credit on recharges and internet bundles, and a free exchange to a 4G SIM with 1 GB offered, but we did not read the terms. We also found no Airtel page saying what a foreign visitor must show to buy or register a SIM, so ask in an Airtel shop before planning to buy one on arrival.
No Moov Africa Gabon Télécom page is cited in this guide, so it does not state that operator's bundle prices, whether it sells an eSIM or what coverage it claims. The regulator's FAQ explains the generations of mobile technology and quality of service in general terms, and does not describe a visitor SIM rule. Confirm the options with the operator before you travel if you want data on landing.
Visa, passport and yellow fever certificate
The UK Foreign Office page for British citizens, last updated on 10 December 2025, says: you must have a visa to enter Gabon. It says to apply before travelling and that the most reliable way to get one is through the Gabon High Commission in the UK, which it lists on 020 7823 9986 or gabonembassyuk@gmail.com. For tourist travel you must provide a hotel booking or a letter from your hotel confirming your stay, and for business a letter of invitation from an individual or company in Gabon.
Your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the day you arrive, and the Foreign Office says you will be denied entry without a valid travel document. To enter Gabon you must have a certificate proving a yellow fever vaccination. It adds that there are strict rules on goods taken into or out of the country and that you must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. The page is written for people travelling on a British citizen passport, so holders of other passports should check with the Gabon embassy.
Taxis, carjacking, card fraud and scrutiny of tourists
The Foreign Office says there have been incidents of robbery, armed attacks and rape in Gabon. It reports violent assaults and robberies on taxi passengers, explains that taxis in Gabonese cities operate like buses and pick up further passengers if there is room, and advises using licensed taxis and asking to book the taxi exclusively. It also reports carjackings in Libreville and advises that a victim should stay calm and surrender valuables and the vehicle if asked, not resist.
Credit cards are not widely accepted except at hotels, according to the same page, which adds that card fraud is common outside the major hotel chains. It advises avoiding remote areas after dark, being cautious on quiet or isolated beaches around Libreville and avoiding them at night, and keeping smartphones out of sight.
On politics, the Foreign Office says tourists were held and questioned after the August 2023 coup and some had passports taken, and that the authorities may still treat tourists with heightened scrutiny. By law you must be able to show proof of identity, so carry your passport and visa or a certified copy of the photo and visa pages. Photography of government and military buildings and airports is illegal and may lead to arrest. The page still mentions presidential elections on 12 April 2025, so read the current version before you travel.
Roads and emergency numbers
The Foreign Office says roads in central Libreville are generally good, while conditions in local inland areas are poor and many roads are unlit, so it advises against road travel at night. During the rainy season, from October to mid-December and mid-February to May, many roads are passable only with a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, and official checkpoints are common, where police ask for your passport, driving licence and vehicle registration documents.
The Foreign Office lists these emergency numbers for Gabon: police 177, fire 177 and ambulance 117. Depending on your mobile network, SOS Médecins can be reached on 1300, 0174 or 0880, and operators may speak only French. It warns that none of these numbers is guaranteed to be reliable and that emergency help can be limited in places that are hard to reach.
Networks our Gabon plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Gabon, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- Airtel4G
- Airtel Gabon Ltd.4G
- Gabon Telecom4G
- LIBERTIS4G