Insurance in Gabon

Gabon has an established but fragmented insurance system. The latest public report from the Direction Nationale des Assurances (DNA) cited here covers 2023 and records nine insurers, six for non-life business and three for life business, together with one reinsurer, SCG-RE, 37 brokers and 13 general agents. The market generated FCFA 136.17 billion in turnover. Non-life insurance represented 75.5% of the market, while insurance penetration was 1.1% and density was FCFA 55,884 per inhabitant. Bodily-accident and health cover and motor insurance are especially prominent. The report also records FCFA 22.16 billion in overdue non-life premiums, equal to 16.3% of issued premiums. Social protection operates mainly through CNAMGS, the Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie et de Garantie Sociale, CNSS, the Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale, and CPPF, the public pension and family-benefits body. CNAMGS provides mandatory health and maternity cover, social guarantees, third-party payment and a defined package of treatment, medicines, procedures and hospital care at agreed tariffs. Registered family dependants can be included. Fonds 1 covers private and parapublic groups, with recorded contributions of 4.1% for the employer, 2% for the employee and 1% for retirees. Fonds 2 covers public-sector groups, with recorded contributions of 5% for the employer, 2.5% for public agents and 1% for retirees. Fonds 3 covers groups such as economically vulnerable people, students, pupils and refugees, with a recorded 1% contribution on transactions. Fonds 4 serves independent workers, voluntary insured people and certain professions through a flat contribution. Contribution rates and the contribution base should be checked against the current applicable text. CNAMGS provides e-CNAMGS services for affiliation, declarations, payments, duplicate documents and complaints. After departure from covered employment or a layoff, individual CNAMGS cover is recorded as continuing for three months under the stated CNAMGS rule. CNSS registration and insurance are compulsory for private-sector workers and domestic workers. The employer affiliates the establishment, registers workers, declares salaries, pays the employer and employee shares and submits the required salary return. CNSS branches cover family and maternity benefits, work accidents and occupational disease, old age, invalidity and death. Depending on the claim, benefits can include daily allowances, medical costs, permanent-incapacity benefits, survivor pensions and retirement, invalidity or survivor benefits. A work accident or occupational disease should be declared within 48 hours. CPPF protects public agents, military personnel, magistrates and state contractors through pensions and family benefits, including retirement, invalidity, survivor and family-allowance benefits. Preparatory coordination between CNSS and CPPF in 2026 does not establish automatic portability between the private and public regimes. Private insurance is governed regionally by CIMA, the Conférence Interafricaine des Marchés d'Assurances, through the CIMA Insurance Code of 2019 and subsequent measures including Règlement 005/CIMA/2024. CRCA, the regional insurance-control commission, provides regional supervision, while DNA acts as the national authority and control relay in Gabon. Insurers, brokers and general agents require authorization. A broker or general agent has a documented minimum financial guarantee of FCFA 10 million, and a broker also needs professional civil-liability cover. Available non-life branches include bodily accidents and health, land vehicles, fire and other property damage, general liability and transport. Life insurance includes individual and group products, death cover, savings and capitalization. Cover, exclusions, deductibles, insured amounts and premiums depend on the policy. There is no evidenced uniform private tariff, and microinsurance products require verification of the local product and authorization. Choose an insurer or intermediary authorized under the CIMA system. The pre-contract information should state the price, cover and exclusions. A policy should identify the parties, insured person or property, covered risks, effective date, duration, insured amount, premium and payment terms, renewal and termination rules, duties, claim procedure, indemnity-payment period and loss-assessment method. The contract currency is FCFA, and the premium is generally due before cover begins. A deferred payment period can generally reach no more than 60 days only for high-premium risks exceeding 80 times the annual statutory minimum wage, excluding automobile, health and transported-goods insurance. Unpaid premiums can lead to termination under the applicable rules. The applicant must answer proposal questions accurately and report a new aggravating circumstance or new risk within 15 days. A claim should be notified promptly and within the contractual period, which cannot be shorter than five working days under the stated rule. Theft and livestock mortality have a 48-hour notification period. Keep the policy, payment receipt, photographs, police or gendarmerie report where relevant, medical or expert documents, invoices and bank details. Late notification does not automatically remove cover unless the insurer proves prejudice, subject to the force-majeure exception. An intentional material misstatement can make the contract void. Motor third-party liability is mandatory for land motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers. The driver should carry the insurance attestation and detachable certificate. The CIMA minimum tariff applies. The Carte Rose within CEMAC, the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, supports cross-border motor claims. Some contractual defences and exclusions cannot be used against injured third parties, although the insurer may later seek recovery from the responsible insured. No general mandatory home or life-insurance requirement is evidenced for Gabon. For a private claim, start with the insurer, agent or broker. If the matter remains unresolved, contact DNA Gabon and, where necessary, the CIMA Secretariat or CRCA. CNAMGS complaints use e-CNAMGS, while CNSS and CPPF claims go through the relevant institution, employer or beneficiary channel. Settlement periods depend on the policy and claim; no single nationwide settlement time applies. CIMA contractual actions generally have a two-year limitation period, while claims by life-insurance or accident-death beneficiaries generally have a ten-year period under the stated rules. After a contract has run for one year, annual termination normally requires at least two months' notice before expiry. Notice can use a receipt, an extrajudicial act, registered letter or a policy-approved digital method. A change linked to domicile, profession, retirement or marital status can support a termination request within three months; termination generally takes effect after one month, with a refund of unused premium where applicable. An insurer may terminate after a claim within three months, subject to one month's notice. Life contracts have specific exceptions. When changing insurers, arrange the new policy first and maintain uninterrupted motor third-party liability cover.