Real estate and land — investing without getting trapped

What a foreign investor can hold

Senegalese land law distinguishes the national domain — whose land cannot be freely acquired outright — from registered land (land titles), which is transferable. Two classic routes are open to a foreign investor: a long-term emphyteutic lease granted by the State, with a development obligation; or holding through a company incorporated in Senegal, which can acquire land titles outright. The 2025 Investment Code consolidates this framework and tasks APIX with easing access to land — the agency opened a dedicated land one-stop shop for investors in late 2025.

Real estate, yes — under ordinary rules

Mind a subtlety of the new code: residential and office construction is excluded from its incentives — property is therefore invested under ordinary tax conditions. Demand, though, is real: a chronic housing deficit, Diamniadio's rise, under-capacity hotels outside Dakar. Be wary, on the other hand, of the quantified capital-gain promises circulated by sellers: no institutional source validates them.

The non-negotiable precautions

Land disputes — the same plot sold several times, falsified papers, defaulting developers — hit hardest those who buy remotely or in a hurry. Three reflexes: never buy without a notary (title and chain-of-rights verification included), never pay on the strength of a private agreement alone, and systematically prefer titled land over unregistered land. Our land guide details every step.

Buying land in Senegal: the full guide (in French)