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People group profile · PG012376

The Bisa of Burkina Faso

The Bisa of Burkina Faso, numbering about 927,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Mande ethnic group of south-central Burkina Faso and northeastern Ghana.

They are an indigenous people in the Mande people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Ethnoreligion, and they primarily speak Bissa.

Pray for the BisaPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Bisa people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Bisa

Fast facts

Country
Burkina Faso
Population
927,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Mande
Primary language
Bissa (bib)
Primary religion
Ethnoreligion
Strategic Progress Index ?
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC ?
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority ?
Expanding Unreached People Group
Region
Western Africa, Africa
Location
Between Tenkodogo and the border with Ghana

Where they live

Gospel status

The Bisa are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Bisa

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Ethnoreligion

45% adherents

Primary language

Bissa · Mande family

100% speak Bissa

Gospel resources in Bissa

  • Bible available, published 2008
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Bisa

  1. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  2. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  3. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  4. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.

Download a prayer guide

Bisa in other countries

The same people is also reported in 3 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
BisaGhana278,000Engaged yet Unreached
BisaCote d’Ivoire145,000Unengaged and Unreached
BisaTogo16,500Unengaged and Unreached

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