Mali Company Search Guide 2026: How to Verify a Mali Business

TL;DR. Mali’s official commercial registry is the RCCM (Registre du Commerce et du Credit Mobilier), accessible via the OHADA portal at rccm.ohada.org. The interface is in French. Mali is on the FATF increased monitoring (grey) list. A military coup in August 2021 replaced the transitional government; the military junta (CNSP) has since extended its transition period indefinitely and withdrawn from ECOWAS in 2025. [VERIFY: current political and operational status.] Registry access is functionally possible through local legal representatives in Bamako, but operational continuity and data currency should be confirmed before reliance.

What is the official Mali business registry?

Mali’s commercial registry is the Registre du Commerce et du Credit Mobilier (RCCM), established under OHADA’s Uniform Act Relating to General Commercial Law. Mali ratified the OHADA treaty in 1994 and the RCCM became operational in-country from the late 1990s. OHADA Uniform Acts are directly applicable in Mali, providing the legal framework for all commercial entities.

Operationally, the RCCM is administered by the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie du Mali (CCIM), the Mali Chamber of Commerce, which manages registry functions in coordination with the Tribunal de Commerce de Bamako. The CCIM portal (ccim.ml) has historically provided access to commercial registry information alongside the OHADA federated portal.

Online search access is provided via the OHADA RCCM portal at rccm.ohada.org. Coverage for Mali in the OHADA digital portal is partial; Bamako-registered entities are better covered than regional court registrations in Mopti, Segou, Kayes, or Gao.

Political context note. Mali has experienced major political instability: a coup in August 2020 removed President Keita, followed by a second military takeover in May 2021. The military junta (Comite National pour le Salut du Peuple, CNSP) has governed since, extending the transition period and withdrawing from ECOWAS in January 2025 alongside Burkina Faso and Niger (forming the Alliance des Etats du Sahel). This political environment creates operational uncertainty for institutions including the commercial court registry and CCIM. [VERIFY: current operational status of CCIM and Tribunal de Commerce de Bamako before conducting registry searches.]

What can you search?

Where digitized records are available, the OHADA RCCM portal supports searches by:

• Corporate name (denomination sociale)
• Trade name (nom commercial)
• RCCM number
• Legal form

Results where available include: corporate name, RCCM number, legal form, registration court, entry date, and filed formalities. For private companies and entities registered before broad digitization, physical court searches via a local representative are necessary.

[VERIFY: current availability of CCIM digital services and OHADA portal coverage for Mali at point of search, given political context.]

How much does it cost?

[VERIFY: current fee schedule given potential administrative changes under the military government. EUR/XOF conversion: 1 EUR = 655.96 XOF (fixed peg). Mali uses the XOF (CFA Franc West Africa) as part of the UEMOA zone, though ECOWAS withdrawal may affect some operational aspects of financial integration.]

Do you need a local account or ID?

Account registration on the OHADA RCCM portal requires only an email address. No Malian national ID is required for portal access by foreign users. For physical court searches or certified extract requests, a local legal representative in Bamako is effectively required given the absence of a fully functional online-only pathway for certified documents.

Is the website in English?

No. The OHADA RCCM portal operates in French, with English navigation available via the lang=en URL parameter. All entity data and filing descriptions are in French. No English-language interface is available for Mali-specific registry access. Certified translations of RCCM extracts are available through intermediaries.

What’s the turnaround time?

Highly variable and operationally uncertain. Under normal conditions before 2020, Bamako RCCM searches via CCIM or an intermediary took 10 to 21 business days. Given the political situation since 2021, timelines are less predictable. [VERIFY: current operational capacity with a local legal contact in Bamako before committing to a timeline.]

Is there an API?

No. The OHADA RCCM portal does not offer a public API. CCIM’s digital services are subject to the constraints of the broader institutional context. No programmatic registry access exists for Mali.

What you legally cannot do

OHADA registries prohibit bulk automated scraping. Commercial redistribution of RCCM records without authorization is restricted. Mali’s data protection framework is limited; apply international best-practice data minimization. Given the political context, be aware that some government digital services may have restricted access or altered terms under the transitional administration. Document all access purposes for AML/KYC audit trail obligations.

Practical tips for foreign compliance buyers

• FATF grey list. Mali is on FATF’s increased monitoring (grey) list as of May 2026. [VERIFY: current FATF status at fatf-gafi.org.] Enhanced due diligence is required for transactions involving Malian counterparties under most institutional AML frameworks.
• ECOWAS and AES withdrawal. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025, forming the Alliance des Etats du Sahel (AES). This affects regional trade and financial cooperation frameworks. Monitor developments for their impact on correspondent banking, cross-border transactions, and AML/CFT coordination through GIABA.
• Operational uncertainty. The military government has affected civil service continuity, including at courts and commercial registries. Do not assume digital services are continuously operational. Engage a Bamako-based legal representative who can confirm current registry access.
• Gold and mining sector. Mali is one of Africa’s largest gold producers. Companies in the mining sector and related logistics are common counterparties. UBO verification for mining-sector entities requires heightened attention given political patronage networks and joint-venture complexity.
• French-language documents only. All official registry documents are in French. For international compliance use, budget for certified translation to English or your required language.
• UEMOA zone. Despite ECOWAS withdrawal, Mali remains in the UEMOA (West African Economic and Monetary Union) XOF currency zone and subject to BCEAO (West African central bank) monetary policy. Financial transactions within the XOF zone continue normally.

Alternatives if you cannot access the RCCM directly

• OHADA RCCM portal (rccm.ohada.org): partial Mali coverage. Free at the search level.
• CCIM Mali (ccim.ml): the Chamber of Commerce has historically provided registry services; [VERIFY: current operational status].
• International intermediaries: Schmidt and Schmidt (schmidt-export.com) and similar firms offer RCCM extract services for Mali, subject to current availability.
• Local legal firms in Bamako: direct engagement remains the most reliable route for verified entity data.

Local data suppliers

No major international credit bureau operates a Mali-specific service as of May 2026. For due diligence, international providers with Francophone Africa and Sahel experience (Kroll, Control Risks) are the primary resources.

FAQ

Can a foreign company access the Mali registry directly?

Foreign users can access the OHADA RCCM portal for available digitized records. For certified extracts and private company data, a local Bamako legal representative is required. There is no fully open online public portal.

What is the RCCM number in Mali?

The RCCM number encodes the registration court and year, following the OHADA standard. Bamako-registered entities carry “ML-BKO” as the court prefix. This is the primary anchor identifier for Mali entity verification.

What entity types are registered with the RCCM in Mali?

SA (Societe Anonyme), SARL (Societe a Responsabilite Limitee), SNC (Societe en Nom Collectif), GIE (Groupement d’Interet Economique), individual traders, and branches of foreign companies, all governed by OHADA Uniform Acts.

Does Mali have a beneficial ownership (UBO) registry?

Mali does not operate a publicly searchable UBO register as of May 2026. Beneficial ownership requirements exist under Malian AML legislation, but UBO data is held by regulatory authorities, not published publicly. Given the FATF grey list status and political context, enhanced UBO verification procedures are essential.

Is Mali on the FATF grey list?

Yes, as of May 2026. [VERIFY: fatf-gafi.org for current status.] EDD is required for transactions with Malian counterparties.

Last verified: May 2026. Sources: OHADA RCCM portal (rccm.ohada.org), CCIM Mali (ccim.ml), FATF (fatf-gafi.org). For the full global due diligence framework, see our Global Business Due Diligence Guide.