Cameroon is a nominally bilingual country, with a roughly 80-20 split between French and English speakers; while many Cameroonians speak both languages, many also speak only one of these two languages. Products with packaging labeled in both languages will have a competitive edge. Cameroon’s consumer lending is underdeveloped, but several Cameroonian banks now offer debit and credit cards. The economy is still heavily cash-based, particularly outside of Yaoundé and Douala. All imported goods sold in Cameroon must bear the label “Vente en CEMAC” or “sold in CEMAC.”
Trade Promotion and Advertising
PROMOTE, also known as the International Business Forum of SME, is the largest regional trade fair in Central Africa. It is held in Yaoundé every two years. The most recent fair was in February 2022. PROMOTE was established to encourage trade among countries of the CEMAC region. During and after the event, PROMOTE organizers offer Business to Business connections to companies. Over the years, PROMOTE has built and continues to maintain a large database of entreprises in the CEMAC region.
Pricing
Cameroon instituted the Value-Added Tax of 19.25 percent in 1999, which is paid upstream and is recoverable. Customs duties also have a significant impact on pricing.
There are some price controls for consumer goods in Cameroon. The government controls the price of fuel, construction material (cement, iron rods, etc.) and some foodstuff, including bread.
Sales Service/Customer Support
Companies that are able to provide good and consistent customer service generally gain and retain a loyal clientele, particularly in Yaoundé and Douala. The success of mobile phone operators, for example, can be largely explained by their customer care services. These companies have established free call-centers to assist customers and generally provide good after-sale services for devices like modems and cell phone handsets. This is not the case for the Cameroonian public administration and its state-owned companies, which have a long-established negative reputation in customer care and support. Generally, levels of service provided are far below Western standards, and thus U.S. companies offering improvements in this arena could have a competitive advantage.
Local Professional Services
A list of lawyers, medical professionals, and notaries can be found on U.S. Embassy Yaoundé’s public website. For other professional services, contact yaoundepolecon@state.gov.
Principal Business Associations
American Chamber of Commerce: With over 100 members currently, Amcham Cameroon includes businesses of all sizes and sectors from multinationals and large corporations to personalized operations. The leadership is equally diverse with prominent and highly-regarded corporate and small business leaders from all sectors serving on the Board. Amcham Cameroon’s members meet every month to discuss and interact on the topics of current significance to conducting business in or with Cameroon and United States.
AmCham’s head office is in Douala, Cameroon’s commercial capital. The U.S. Ambassador is the honorary Chair and the Embassy Branch Office (EBO) Director has an ex officio seat on the board. Amcham Cameroon maintains relations with the Chamber of the Commerce of the United States, business chambers and associations in Cameroon, and developmental and commercial institutions with an interest in Cameroon.
Limitations on Selling U.S. Products and Services
The Embassy is unaware of any legal limitations on U.S. citizens or companies from selling U.S. products or services in Cameroon.