Africa

11, September 2026

Billionaire Alex Beard pleads not guilty to Cameroon, Nigeria bribery charges ⁰

British billionaire Alex Beard, the former head of oil at commodities giant Glencore, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to make corrupt payments linked to the company’s oil operations in West Africa.

Beard, 59, appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London on September 10, where he denied allegations brought by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) concerning alleged corrupt payments to officials in Nigeria and Cameroon.

Prosecutors allege that Beard was involved in a conspiracy to make corrupt payments to government or state-owned oil company officials in Nigeria between 2010 and 2014 and in Cameroon between 2007 and 2014. Beard has denied the charges.

The case is part of a wider prosecution involving six former Glencore employees accused of conspiring to make corrupt payments to benefit the company’s oil operations in West Africa. The SFO says the charges relate to the awarding of oil contracts spanning Cameroon, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire between 2007 and 2014.

Beard appeared in court alongside Andrew Gibson, Glencore’s former head of oil operations. Gibson, 66, pleaded not guilty to four counts of conspiracy to make corrupt payments relating to Nigeria, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire. He also denied an additional charge of conspiracy to falsify documents for accounting purposes.

Four other former Glencore oil traders, Martin Wakefield, David Perez, Paul Hopkirk and Ramon Labiaga, have also pleaded not guilty to related charges. All six defendants are scheduled to stand trial from October 4, 2027.

The prosecution follows Glencore’s earlier corporate bribery case. In 2022, Glencore Energy (UK) pleaded guilty to seven counts of bribery relating to payments made to secure preferential access to oil and was ordered to pay £280 million in penalties and confiscation of proceeds. The corporate case was separate from the current prosecution of the former employees.

Beard became a billionaire after Glencore’s flotation on the London Stock Exchange in 2011. He joined Glencore in 1995 after working as an oil trader at BP and later became the company’s global head of oil, a position he held until his retirement in 2019. His wealth became public when Glencore listed in London and disclosed the value of shares held by senior executives.

The SFO first charged Beard and four other former Glencore employees with conspiring to make corrupt payments in August 2024. A sixth defendant, David Perez, was subsequently charged as part of the case. The agency says the alleged conduct involved contracts and payments connected to Glencore’s West African oil operations.

Beard’s latest court appearance marks the formal entry of his not-guilty plea ahead of the 2027 trial. The allegations against him have not been proven in court. The SFO says it will continue pursuing the case against all six former Glencore employees ahead of the October 2027 trial.

Source: Billionaires.Africa

11, September 2026

SONARA loses final UK appeal over CFA42.8 billion Sahara Energy claim ⁰

Cameroon’s state-owned refinery Sonara has lost its final attempt before the UK Supreme Court to challenge a $76.97 million claim, or about CFA42.8 billion, awarded to Sahara Energy Resource Ltd and Sahara Energy Resource DMCC.

On June 29, 2026, the UK’s highest court refused Sonara permission to appeal, leaving in place a Feb. 6 Court of Appeal ruling in favor of Sahara Energy.

In case UKSC/2026/0046, Lord Briggs, Lord Burrows and Lord Doherty found that Sonara’s application did not raise a point of law of general public importance. The Supreme Court therefore did not reconsider the merits of the dispute.

Sonara had challenged the interpretation of a joint report it signed with Sahara Energy in September 2019. It also raised its financial dependence on the Cameroonian government and the absence of a specific repayment schedule in the document.

The refusal ends Sonara’s attempt to overturn the Court of Appeal decision before the Supreme Court. That ruling had reversed an earlier High Court judgment in favor of the Cameroonian refinery.

$76.97 Million Recognized in a 2019 Agreement

The dispute stems from crude oil cargoes that Sahara supplied to Sonara between 2013 and 2016. The refinery paid the principal amounts on the invoices and contractual interest after legal proceedings began.

Three categories of claims remained unresolved: additional interest tied to Sahara’s financing costs with its banks, foreign-exchange losses, and bank penalties associated with letters of credit used to finance the cargoes.

The companies reviewed those claims during a reconciliation meeting at the Limbé refinery on Sept. 4 and 5, 2019.

The “Joint Report” signed after the meeting classified the additional interest and foreign-exchange losses as “Undisputed Claims,” for a combined $76,967,673.97. Bank penalties totaling $50,760,089.41 were classified as “Disputed Claims.”

The interpretation of that distinction ultimately determined the outcome of the case.

Initial Victory Overturned on Appeal

On Dec. 9, 2024, London’s High Court initially sided with Sonara. It found that the Joint Report constituted a legally binding agreement for some claims, but not for the additional interest and foreign-exchange losses. Sahara’s remaining claims were therefore dismissed.

Sahara appealed and secured a reversal on Feb. 6, 2026.

In its [2026] EWCA Civ 54 judgment, the Court of Appeal found that “Undisputed Claims” should carry its ordinary meaning: the claims in question were no longer contested.

The judges also found that nothing in the Joint Report made Sonara’s commitment conditional on prior approval from the Cameroonian government. According to the court, the fact that the parties still had to discuss a repayment schedule or flexible payment arrangements did not alter their existing agreement on the validity and amount of the claims.

The Court of Appeal therefore ruled in Sahara’s favor on the $76.97 million in additional interest and foreign-exchange losses.

Sahara Loses Additional $50.76 Million Claim

The oil trader’s victory was only partial. The Court of Appeal upheld the dismissal of its $50.76 million claim for bank penalties and charges, finding that an indemnity provision in the 2013 contract did not allow Sahara to pass those costs on to Sonara.

Sahara Energy also sought to challenge that part of the ruling before the Supreme Court. Its application for permission to appeal, filed as UKSC/2026/0047, was also rejected on June 29, 2026.

The judges found that Sahara’s application raised neither an arguable legal issue that warranted Supreme Court intervention nor a point of law of general public importance.

Both companies therefore failed to overturn the portions of the Court of Appeal judgment they challenged. Sonara remains bound by the ruling on the $76.97 million claim, while Sahara cannot recover the additional $50.76 million it sought in bank penalties.

Payment of CFA42.8 Billion Not Established

The Supreme Court’s refusal does not constitute a new financial award. It leaves the Court of Appeal judgment in place.

The public court documents reviewed establish Sahara Energy’s recognized $76.97 million claim. They do not, however, establish that Sonara has already paid the amount, equivalent to about CFA42.8 billion.

Judicial recognition of the debt and its payment are separate matters. At this stage, no identified public information establishes that Sonara has paid the amount in full.

Source: Business in Cameroon

7, September 2026

Douala: US firm Cybastion plans $75 Million AI data center and power plant ⁰

US company Cybastion plans to invest $75 million, about CFA42.25 billion, in a data center in Douala designed in part for artificial intelligence applications and supported by dedicated power generation capacity.

The project was among the investment proposals presented at the first Cameroon-US Economic and Commercial Dialogue, held in Yaoundé on August 27, 2026. Cybastion describes the planned facility as a “sovereign data center” that would provide computing capacity, storage and other digital services locally. Several critical specifications, however, remain undisclosed. The company has provided no details on the data center’s computing capacity, the size of the planned power plant or the technology that would generate its electricity.

The construction schedule, exact location in Douala and financing structure for the $75 million investment have also not been disclosed. At this stage, the project therefore remains an investment proposal rather than a fully secured financing commitment.

Dedicated Power Generation Capacity

The inclusion of dedicated power generation is one of the project’s distinguishing features. Data centers require a continuous and stable electricity supply for servers, cooling systems and other equipment, while infrastructure designed to support AI applications can require even greater amounts of power.

The issue reflects concerns already identified in Cameroon. A study by the National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies Development (CENADI) on the competitiveness and viability of data centers examined their business models and operating constraints.

Cybastion would not, however, enter a market without existing infrastructure. CAMTEL already operates a Tier III-certified data center in Zamengoé, near Yaoundé. In Douala, ST Digital also operates a private data center equipped with infrastructure dedicated to artificial intelligence. Posts and Telecommunications Minister Minette Libom Li Likeng visited the facility in July 2025.

Cybastion’s project would therefore need to distinguish itself through factors such as capacity, customers, hosting costs and available power. Those details have yet to be disclosed.

A $66 Million Precedent in Côte d’Ivoire

Cybastion already has a comparable project in West Africa. In August 2025, the Export-Import Bank of the United States approved a $66.14 million guarantee to support construction of Côte d’Ivoire’s national data center.

Under that financing structure, Côte d’Ivoire’s Finance Ministry is the borrower, Cybastion Institute of Technology is the exporter and Citibank is the lender covered by the US guarantee. In May 2026, EXIM named the transaction its “Industries of the Future Deal of the Year.”

No comparable financing arrangement has yet been announced for Cameroon. Cybastion’s proposed $75 million investment forms part of roughly $7 billion, or nearly CFA4 trillion, in US commercial and investment opportunities identified during the Yaoundé dialogue.

Cameroon’s Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development (MINEPAT), however, says the projects are at different stages of development and describes the announced amounts as investment intentions that still need to translate into concrete projects.

For Cybastion’s project, the next key developments will therefore include the identity of its financiers, the capacity of the data center and power plant, the choice of site, the construction timetable and any commitments made by the Cameroonian government.

Source: Business in Cameroon

3, September 2026

Cameroon’s CEMAC treasury debt tops CFA 2 trillion ⁰

Cameroon’s outstanding Treasury securities on the CEMAC public debt market exceeded CFA2 trillion at the end of July 2026, but their annual growth slowed sharply after two years of much faster increases.

The stock reached CFA2.061 trillion as of July 31, up CFA80.4 billion, or 4.1%, from CFA1.981 trillion a year earlier, according to monthly statistics published by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC).

Cameroon had the third-largest stock of outstanding government securities in the regional market. Gabon ranked first with CFA3.424 trillion, followed by Congo with CFA3.041 trillion. Cameroon accounted for 19.5% of the CFA10.561 trillion in government securities outstanding across CEMAC’s six member countries.

Annual growth slows to 4.1%

The increase between July 2025 and July 2026 represents a significant slowdown from the previous two years. Cameroon’s outstanding securities rose by CFA293 billion, or 23.7%, between July 2023 and July 2024. The increase then reached CFA452.2 billion, or 29.6%, between July 2024 and July 2025.

The latest annual increase fell to CFA80.4 billion. The slowdown does not mean that the stock has started to decline, however. It rose by CFA52.1 billion in July 2026 alone, from CFA2.009 trillion in June to CFA2.061 trillion, an increase of 2.59% in one month.

Outstanding securities also differ from the total amount of debt issued by the Treasury over a given period. The figure represents securities that remain unpaid at a specific date and reflects both new issuance and repayments. The outstanding stock alone therefore cannot show whether slower annual growth resulted from lower fundraising, faster repayments or a combination of the two.

Borrowing costs decline from a year earlier

Higher financing costs do not, on their own, explain the slower increase either. The average cost of Cameroon’s Treasury bills, known as BTA, fell to 6.97% in July 2026 from 7.10% a year earlier. The average cost of Treasury bonds, or OTA, declined more sharply, to 7.36% from 8.29%.

Borrowing nevertheless remains considerably more expensive than during the earlier development of the market. In June 2018, Cameroon’s average BTA cost stood at 2.81%, compared with nearly 7% in July 2026.

Bonds account for more than two-thirds of the stock

Of the CFA2.061 trillion in outstanding Cameroonian securities, Treasury bonds accounted for CFA1.394 trillion, or 67.6%. Treasury bills, which mature within one year, represented the remaining CFA666.9 billion, or 32.4%.

Primary dealers held CFA1.433 trillion in Cameroonian securities, equivalent to 69.5% of the total, while institutional investors held CFA562.1 billion, or 27.3%. Investors based in Cameroon owned CFA1.711 trillion, about 83% of the outstanding stock.

The BEAC-organized market has become a major source of state financing, although it is not Cameroon’s only regional funding channel. The government also raises capital through the Central African Stock Exchange (BVMAC). In 2023, it secured CFA176.3 billion there through a multi-tranche bond issue.

Source: Business in Cameroon

29, August 2026

CDC seeks government action over palm tree destruction at Esuke ⁰

The Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) has appealed to the government to intervene after more than 100 palm trees were reportedly destroyed at Esuke in Mutengene, South West region, despite efforts to stop illegal crop destruction and encroachment on its land.

The latest incident occurred on Wednesday 26 August 2026, when CDC workers discovered extensive damage to oil palms in the area. The development follows the felling of 52 palm trees at Esuke, according to the corporation.

Workers say the continued destruction is threatening their livelihoods and could undermine recent investments in the corporation’s operations. They called on the government to take urgent action to protect CDC land and crops from what they described as encroachment by individuals and interest groups.

“We depend on the CDC to feed our families and take care of our needs. They recently brought a new oil mill, and now they are felling the palm trees, which means the mill will be useless. The CDC needs more land, not less,” said Akafor Jackline, a CDC worker.

CDC management said more than 100 palm trees have been reportedly destroyed at Esuke in Mutengene, South West region

The Cameroon Development Corporation is Cameroon’s second-largest employer after the state and has major agricultural operations across the South-West region. Its general manager, Franklin Ngoni Njie, says the dispute over the Esuke land dates back to an application made in 2023 by a group seeking control of the area.

He added the corporation had made clear during the commissioning of a signboard that the land could not be recommended for surrender. “First of all, the palms you see here were planted in 2016. They are at their prime, and this is a very high-yielding area. The yield per hectare here is extremely high,” Njie said.

According to the general manager, CDC had also received several disclaimers from the recognised chief of the Muslim community in Mutengene, who disputed the authority of the person claiming leadership of the group seeking the land.

CDC also said the group had misinterpreted correspondence from the presidency as authorisation to proceed with the land claim, adding that the government had suspended land transactions in Fako and on CDC land. “The Head of State has suspended all land transactions in Fako and on CDC land. For any surrender…” he said.

The dispute comes as CDC seeks to protect its agricultural holdings and sustain production following years of difficulties affecting the corporation. Workers said losing productive plantations could have consequences beyond the immediate destruction of the trees, particularly given the corporation’s role in providing employment and supporting households in the region.

But the Muslim community in Mutengene says its plans for the disputed area are also intended to deliver significant social and economic benefits. Chief Hanasani Iya, leader of the Muslim community in Mutengene, said the proposed development would include a large central mosque, a hospital and a centre for internally displaced people.

“We intend to build a central mosque of 3000 to 3500 capacity, a hospital and also build an IDP centre for our community,” he said as relayed by the Sun Newspaper, adding that the community had potential financial backing from partners in Arab countries in the Middle East who were willing to support the proposed projects.

CDC workers are thus urging the government to intervene before further palm plantations are destroyed and more CDC land is encroached upon.

Source: Panafricanvisions

27, August 2026

Biya regime’s takeover of General Bank deepens concerns over state’s growing role ⁰

Cameroon’s takeover of Société Générale Cameroun, now renamed General Bank of Cameroon (GBC), has become part of a broader concern over the state’s growing footprint in the banking industry, with the African Development Bank warning that repeated public recapitalizations and acquisitions are creating additional fiscal and governance risks.

In its 2026 Country Report on Cameroon, the AfDB describes the expansion of state involvement in banking as a “major source of concern” and cites the acquisition completed on May 12, 2026, as the latest example of the trend.

The warning, however, does not amount to a finding that GBC itself is financially weak. The report is not an audit of the acquired bank. Its concern is broader: the accumulation of government stakes in banks, the governance risks associated with those holdings and the growing interdependence between public finances and bank balance sheets.

The government acquired the 58.08% stake previously held by Société Générale Group. Since the state already owned 25.60% of the subsidiary, the transaction was expected to raise its interest to 83.68%, based on the terms announced when the sale agreement was signed in July 2025.

The government has presented the takeover as a move to strengthen financial sovereignty and ensure stability. When the transaction closed, the Finance Ministry said measures had been taken to ensure continuity of banking services and the security of deposits.

The IMF has raised similar concerns

The AfDB’s warning follows concerns previously raised by the International Monetary Fund.

In its 2026 consultation report, completed on March 9, the IMF said growing government ownership of banks was increasing fiscal, operational and governance risks. It counted eight institutions in which the state held a majority interest.

The IMF recommended clear rules for the management and supervision of state-owned banks, along with restructuring or resolution plans for troubled institutions. It also recommended that the government divest its holdings where feasible. The Fund’s executive board similarly urged caution over the expansion of the state’s footprint in the banking system.

The issue extends beyond GBC’s ownership.

Cameroonian banks’ holdings of government securities increased from 9.5% of their assets at the end of 2015 to 32% in June 2025. According to the IMF, several banks held more than half of their assets in claims on governments within the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, or CEMAC.

That concentration strengthens the link between banks’ financial health and governments’ fiscal positions. It can also reduce the resources available to finance businesses and households.

The AfDB also noted that public debt service absorbed 23.8% of Cameroon’s budget in 2025, up from 9.8% in 2013.

Banking indicators are still improving

The increase in these risks does not mean Cameroon’s banking system is experiencing a broad deterioration.

At the end of November 2025, the combined balance sheets of the country’s 18 operating banks had grown 9.3% to CFA13.593 trillion. Customer deposits rose 8.4% to CFA8.865 trillion, while lending increased 17% to CFA6.924 trillion.

Sixteen of the 18 banks were fully compliant with prudential requirements. The gross nonperforming loan ratio also declined to 12.9% in 2025 from 14.3% in 2024.

The AfDB’s concerns therefore center less on an immediate deterioration across the banking industry than on sovereign-risk concentration and the governance of institutions controlled by the government.

In discussions with the IMF, Cameroonian authorities described state interventions in banks as temporary measures designed to restructure troubled institutions, restore their profitability and eventually reduce government ownership.

However, public sources reviewed through Aug. 25, 2026, provide no specific timetable for the government to reduce its stake in GBC or bring additional shareholders into the bank.

The issue raised by the AfDB therefore extends beyond the original rationale for the acquisition. Attention now shifts to how GBC will be governed, how transparent its exposure to the public sector will be and under what conditions the government could eventually share or relinquish control.

Source: Business in Cameroon

26, August 2026

Cameroon’s cocoa export revenue plunges 63% as shipments and prices fall ⁰

Cameroon’s cocoa export earnings fell 63% during the 2025-26 season, hit by a sharp decline in both shipments and international prices, a reversal that could cost cocoa its newly acquired position as the country’s largest export product.

Cameroon exported 125,469 tons of raw cocoa beans during the season that officially ended July 15, 2026, according to data released by the National Cocoa and Coffee Board, or ONCC, at the launch of the 2026-27 season. That was 66,543 tons, or 34.7%, below the 192,012 tons shipped a year earlier.

The value of those exports at the port of Douala dropped even more sharply, to CFA400.9 billion from CFA1.07 trillion in the previous season, a decline of CFA673 billion.

The ONCC did not provide a specific explanation for the steep fall in export volumes, which came alongside a decline of more than 15% in locally processed beans. Its figures, however, point to lower marketed production and a sharp increase in end-of-season inventories.

Marketed cocoa production fell 19.9% to 247,914 tons in 2025-26 from 309,518 tons the previous season, reducing the volume of beans available for purchase.

Meanwhile, closing stocks nearly tripled to 40,446 tons from 13,946 tons. That means the volume of beans remaining in inventory increased by 26,500 tons between the two seasons.

Europe Takes More Than 84% of Exports

Telcar Cocoa regained its position as Cameroon’s largest cocoa exporter, shipping 40,631 tons, or 32.4% of the season’s total.

The company, led by Kate Fotso, had lost the top spot in 2024-25 following the end of its partnership with U.S. commodities trader Cargill. Telcar exported 30,497 tons that season, giving it a 15.7% market share.

Ofi Cam ranked second in 2025-26 after exporting 24,394 tons, or 19.4% of the total. SBET, the previous season’s market leader, slipped to third place with 23,223 tons, representing 18.5%.

Together, the three companies accounted for 70.3% of Cameroon’s cocoa bean exports.

Europe remained by far the largest destination, led by the Netherlands. ONCC data show the continent received 84.6% of Cameroon’s exports. Asia accounted for 14%, while the Americas and Africa each received about 1%.

Lower Prices Deepen the Revenue Hit

The 63% collapse in export revenue reflects not only fewer shipments but also a steep decline in cocoa prices between the two seasons.

According to the ONCC, FOB prices at the port of Douala ranged from CFA3,808 to CFA7,536 per kilogram during the 2024-25 season. In 2025-26, the range dropped to CFA1,520-CFA3,110 per kilogram.

That represents a decline of roughly 58% to 60% between the two seasons.

The combination of lower production, fewer exports and weaker prices could have broader implications for Cameroon’s external trade.

Cocoa overtook crude oil as the country’s largest export product in 2025 after benefiting from the earlier surge in global prices. According to the National Institute of Statistics, cocoa beans generated 26.3% of Cameroon’s export revenue that year, compared with 22.9% for crude oil.

With cocoa export earnings down 63% in the latest season, maintaining that lead in 2026 could prove difficult. The downturn therefore represents more than a weak cocoa season: it could reshape the composition of Cameroon’s export earnings just one year after cocoa displaced oil at the top.

Source: Business in Cameroon

19, August 2026

Yaoundé allocates CFAF400 million to SMEs ⁰

Cameroon has allocated CFAF400 million to finance small and medium-sized enterprises involved in the distribution of locally produced food, targeting a key bottleneck in the government’s import-substitution program: getting domestic products from producers to consumers.

The funding was announced on August 18, 2026 in a Trade Ministry release disclosing an agreement signed by Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana and Amadou Haman, Managing Director of the Cameroon Bank for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (BC-PME).

According to the Ministry of Trade, the CFAF400 million was transferred to BC-PME under the ministry’s 2026 budget. The bank will provide financial and technical support to businesses operating under the Integrated Agropastoral and Fisheries Import-Substitution Plan (PIISAH).

The facility targets companies involved in processing, packaging, storage, logistics and distribution, with rice, maize, flour, palm oil and milk among the priority value chains. The objective is to build distribution networks capable of bringing locally produced goods to market under competitive conditions.

The initiative addresses one part of Cameroon’s broader import-substitution strategy: ensuring that increases in domestic production are matched by the capacity to store, transport and sell those products efficiently.

“Producing more is not enough,” Mbarga Atangana said, stressing the need to strengthen the link between production and consumers. The financing comes as food imports continue to weigh heavily on Cameroon’s import bill. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the country spent CFAF543.7 billion on cereal imports in 2024, up 40.3% from 2023.

Rice imports alone reached CFAF318.6 billion, an increase of 58.6% year on year, while wheat imports stood at CFAF214.1 billion. In the first quarter of 2025, cereals accounted for 11.2% of Cameroon’s total import expenditure, with rice representing 7.1% and wheat 3.8%.

The pressure extends beyond food products. INS figures show that Cameroon’s overall trade deficit widened by 22.8% to CFAF2,145.2 billion in 2025, from CFAF1,747.3 billion a year earlier, while total import expenditure increased by 4.6%.

Against that backdrop, the government is seeking to strengthen the commercial side of domestic production. According to the Trade Ministry, locally produced goods must not only be available in sufficient quantities but must also meet requirements related to quality, traceability, regular supply and competitive distribution.

Mbarga Atangana said the partnership with BC-PME is intended to make trade a more active part of the country’s production and industrialization drive.

“This agreement reflects our shared determination to make trade a genuine lever for economic transformation and wealth creation,” the minister said, adding that the partnership is also intended to improve “the competitiveness of Cameroonian enterprises.”

PIISAH covers the 2024-2026 period and forms part of Cameroon’s import-substitution policy under the National Development Strategy 2020-2030. The government has again identified the plan as one of its economic priorities for 2026.

Mbarga Atangana said implementation will require coordination among public institutions, businesses and professional organizations.

“The success of PIISAH depends on the collective mobilization of the State, professional organizations and businesses,” he said.

Source: Business in Cameroon

19, August 2026

East Region: At least 33 dead in landslide at gold mine in Garoua-Boulaï ⁰

At least 33 people have died in a landslide at a gold mine on the border between Cameroon and the Central African Republic, according to local authorities.

Many more miners are believed to be buried under the debris, said Julien Martial Asse, the municipal administrator of the nearby Cameroonian border town of Garoua-Boulaï.

The landslide at the artisanal mining site occurred Tuesday midday. Rescue workers continued searching for survivors on Wednesday. Some injured miners were receiving medical treatment.

The cause of the collapse was initially unclear, as was the number of miners prospecting for gold at the time of the accident.

The border area between Cameroon and the Central African Republic is rich in gold. A lot of gold mining in the region is carried out by hand. Low safety standards mean serious accidents are a repeat occurrence.

Source: dpa

13, August 2026

Cameroon’s banana exports jump 34% in July to 20,577 tons ⁰

Cameroon’s banana exports rose sharply in July 2026, with all three producers active in the country recording higher shipments. According to data from the Cameroon Banana Association (Assobacam) reviewed by Business in Cameroon, producers exported a combined 20,577 tons during the month.

The volume was up 34.1% from 15,336 tons in July 2025. The strongest growth came from Compagnie des Bananes de Mondoni (CDBM), the second Cameroonian subsidiary of French group Compagnie Fruitière de Marseille. According to Assobacam, CDBM’s exports rose 96.6% from 1,685 tons in July 2025 to 3,313 tons a year later, an increase of 1,628 tons.

Plantations du Haut Penja (PHP), Compagnie Fruitière’s main subsidiary in Cameroon, increased its exports by 33% over the same period. The country’s largest banana producer shipped 13,577 tons in July 2026, up 3,369 tons from 10,208 tons a year earlier.

Bananas Remain a Major Source of Export Revenue

Assobacam data show that Compagnie Fruitière’s two local subsidiaries exported a combined 16,870 tons of bananas in July 2026. Together, they accounted for 82% of Cameroon’s banana exports during the month.

The remaining 18% came from the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), the industry’s only state-owned operator. It also became the only producer under domestic ownership after Compagnie Fruitière subsidiaries acquired the assets of Boh Plantations PLC in 2025.

CDC, Cameroon’s second-largest employer after the public administration, exported 3,687 tons of bananas in July 2026. Shipments rose 7%, or 244 tons, from 3,443 tons in July 2025.

Bananas are one of Cameroon’s main sources of export revenue. In 2025, international banana sales generated CFA67.7 billion for the country, up 84.7% year on year, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Source: Business in Cameroon