Congo Travel Guide

Congo — Shopping

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Shopping

In Brazzaville, there are shops and colorful markets. An arts and crafts center at Poto Poto sells, amongst other things, local paintings and carved wooden masks and figures. The two main markets are Moungali and Ouenze. Avenue Foch is crowded with street vendors. Basketwork can be bought at the villages of Makana and M’Pila (3km/2 miles from Brazzaville), with pottery and an open-air market.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1500-1800. Some shops close on Monday afternoon and a few open on Sunday morning.

Currency

CFA (Communauté Financière Africaine) Franc (XAF) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations of XAF10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of XAF250, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1.

Congo is part of the French Monetary Area. Only currency issued by the Banque des États de l’Afrique Centrale (Bank of Central African States) is valid; currency issued by the Banque des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (Bank of West African States) is not. The CFA Franc is tied to the Euro. However, US Dollars are the preferred currency.

Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and ATMs

Diners Club and MasterCard have limited use. Hotels in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire accept major credit or debit cards, although prefer cash. One bank in Brazzaville has an ATM.

Travelers Checks

To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveler's checks in Euros or Pounds Sterling. These are accepted only in the larger cities.

Currency Restrictions

The import and export of local currency is prohibited, except between countries of the Central African group. The import of foreign currency is unrestricted, although amounts over US$235 must be declared on arrival. Export of foreign currency is restricted to the amount imported.