Network Côte d'Ivoire
Qualitative market research agency in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Côte d'Ivoire, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to shop-alongs and home visits, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Côte d'Ivoire, also known as Ivory Coast, has 32.9 million people with a median age of 18.3, and only 40.7 per cent of them use the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Mobile connections, at 49.7 million, outnumber residents, because the phone is used for calls, messages and mobile money more than for the web. Six in ten people cannot be reached by an online study, so research there is done in person, in Abidjan's communes and in the cities of the interior.
AT A GLANCE
Côte d'Ivoire at a glance for researchers
- Population. 32.9 million people, median age 18.3, 54.3 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Half of Ivorians are under 19, which makes Côte d'Ivoire one of the youngest markets we cover. Abidjan is the economic capital and by far the largest city; Yamoussoukro is the political capital, and Bouaké the main city of the centre. San-Pédro, the cocoa port in the south-west, and Korhogo in the north are the other main centres.
- Languages. French is the official language and the shared language of Abidjan, in its Ivorian form. Dioula, Baoulé and Bété are among the languages spoken at home, and each participant is asked which they prefer. Our moderators live in Côte d'Ivoire.
- Internet and mobile. 13.4 million internet users, 40.7 per cent of the population, and 49.7 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Only four people in ten are online, and 25.5 per cent of the population uses social media (same source). Mobile connections stand at 151 per cent of the population, so a phone call reaches people an online invitation does not.
- Where fieldwork happens. Abidjan first, commune by commune: Cocody, Yopougon, Abobo, Marcory and Treichville differ sharply in income. Bouaké, San-Pédro, Yamoussoukro and Korhogo are added when the decision is national.
- Data protection. Law No. 2013-450 of 19 June 2013 on the protection of personal data applies. Nothing is recorded until the participant has heard what it is for and has agreed.
- Timing. We do not schedule fieldwork during Ramadan, and Christian and Muslim holidays are both public holidays, among them Easter, Tabaski and Christmas. Independence Day is 7 August. The main rainy season, from May to July, slows travel in Abidjan and on rural roads.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Côte d'Ivoire?
In Côte d'Ivoire, an online sample describes four people in ten, most of them urban and better off. A study that needs the market as it is goes to where people live and shop, and uses the phone for what it does well there: calls and reminders.
- In person, by design. Interviews, groups and home visits are held face to face, with recruiters who know each neighbourhood. Online sessions are kept for urban, connected profiles, and the report says which part of the market each method heard. Venues are chosen close to where participants live.
- Abidjan, commune by commune. Cocody and Yopougon are a short drive apart and far apart in income, housing and retail. Quotas are set by commune, groups are held close to where participants live, and one commune is never read as the whole city.
- Mobile money and cash. Money is sent, received and spent through mobile wallets as well as in cash. Each purchase discussed is traced to the way it was paid, and a payment flow is tested with the wallet apps already installed on the participant's phone.
- Markets, shops and maquis. Daily purchases are made in open markets and in neighbourhood shops that sell by the unit, and many drinks and meals are chosen in open-air restaurants known as maquis. Shop-alongs and venue visits go to those places, with the owner's agreement. Owners and staff are interviewed outside busy hours.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Côte d'Ivoire?
- We recruit through local partners in Abidjan and Bouaké, by commune, language, household and category use. A reminder call goes out to every participant the day before.
- A trusted contact introduces the recruiter to each household, and the journey to the venue is organised for those who need it. People who join studies regularly are not recruited, and quotas are agreed with you before recruitment starts.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Côte d'Ivoire?
Most studies in Côte d'Ivoire run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with shop-alongs, ethnographic home visits or customer intercepts when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Finance, telecoms, health and family decisions, face to face | An online-only sample, which leaves out six people in ten |
| Focus groups | Concepts, food, drink and communications, commune by commune | Cocody read as the whole of Abidjan |
| Shop-alongs | Open markets, neighbourhood shops and supermarkets | Unit prices that differ from the pack price |
| Home visits | Meals, cleaning and the weekly budget | Skipping the introduction through a neighbour or a relative |
| Customer intercepts | Buyers at markets, shops and maquis | Long questionnaires; keep the conversation short |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Côte d'Ivoire
How much does market research cost in Côte d'Ivoire?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Côte d'Ivoire added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Face-to-face fieldwork and cities outside Abidjan move the price more than the number of interviews. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Côte d'Ivoire?
Choose by what the study has to decide. An Ivorian fieldwork company fits a household survey or a retail audit. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Côte d'Ivoire that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Can you run online research in Côte d'Ivoire?
With urban, connected profiles, yes. For the wider market, no: 40.7 per cent of the population uses the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026), so six people in ten would be left out. Most fieldwork is done face to face, with recruiters who know each neighbourhood. Phone interviews work for short follow-up questions.
Is Abidjan enough for research in Côte d'Ivoire, or should I add other cities?
Abidjan is enough for a first read, provided several communes are in the sample. For a national decision, add Bouaké for the centre and San-Pédro or Korhogo, where incomes, languages and shops differ. Local recruiters handle each city. Online sessions are kept for connected profiles.
Which language should sessions run in Côte d'Ivoire?
French, in its Ivorian form, for most sessions in Abidjan. In the interior and with some audiences, Dioula, Baoulé or another home language says more, so each participant is asked at recruitment. Your team listens through simultaneous interpretation. Text on stimulus is kept short and explained aloud by the moderator.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Côte d'Ivoire told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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