Credit, funding and agenda: what is changing for SMEs
Credit is easing slightly and two funding windows are opening for young people and women, just as the State invests less and the 2027 budget reaches Parliament. This issue covers 23 October to 10 November 2026: the economy, banks, open funding, support programmes and upcoming events, including MIBS26 in Douala in December.
The economy
Growth is holding, but businesses are driving it, not the State.
Source : INS, as reported by Investir au Cameroun (6 November 2026) and Africtelegraph
According to the National Institute of Statistics, GDP grew 1.6% over the quarter and 3.4% year on year. Public investment fell 27.7%, while business investment rose 6.4%. If you depend on public contracts, secure your cash flow and look for private clients too.
Source : Cameroun Actuel, 9 November 2026; Journal du Cameroun, 13 October 2026
MPs and senators have been examining the finance bill since 10 November, for about a month. The budget assumes 3.6% growth and 3.2% inflation, with energy, transport and import substitution as priorities. The tax measures are not public yet: plan a session with your accountant in December.
Since 6 November, electricity has been rationed in the three northern regions, around Maroua, Garoua and Ngaoundéré. If your business is based there, cost a backup solution now (solar or generator) and build it into your prices.
Banks
Stronger banks and slightly cheaper credit, but still selective with SMEs.
Source : BEAC, as reported by NotreAfrik, October 2026
In Cameroon, the average all-in cost of credit for SMEs (the TEG) fell from 11.85% in the first quarter to 10.54% in the second quarter of 2026. The gap with large companies is still 3.8 points. Always ask two or three banks for the TEG in writing: it is the only figure that lets you compare offers.
Share capital goes from CFA 50 billion to CFA 110 billion by capitalising reserves, with no fresh money. The bank holds 23.76% of loans in the banking system and is launching its "First Bank Horizon 2030" plan, focused on digital services and support for clients' projects.
Banks issued CFA 122.21 billion in guarantees to SMEs in the first half of 2026, up 25.6% on a year earlier, while the total fell 26.5%. A guarantee is often required to bid for a contract: ask for it before you tender.
Since 1 November, a CEMAC company can raise funds through a private placement without the CFA 20 billion ceiling, from up to 99 qualified investors. This route suits SMEs that are already well structured, with certified accounts.
Open funding
Two windows can be used this week, and a third goes through your bank.
Phase two of the Youth Economic Inclusion Programme targets 18-35 year-olds who are self-employed in the informal sector, in eight cities: Yaoundé, Douala, Bafoussam, Ebolowa, Bertoua, Ngaoundéré, Garoua and Maroua. Registration is online on the PFS-AIE portal (pfs-aie.cm) until 9 December 2026. Registration is free: beware of paid intermediaries.
On 4 November the Caisse des dépôts et consignations (CDEC) signed a CFA 5 billion line with two banks. The all-in cost is estimated at around 9.9% for a four-year loan, well below the market average.
Where: AFG Bank Cameroun (CFA 3 billion) and General Bank of Cameroon (CFA 2 billion).
Amount: up to CFA 75 million per company, over 12 to 48 months.
What for: machinery, irrigation, strictly business vehicles, building or fitting out production facilities.
Excluded: cash flow, working capital, purchase of goods, repayment of an existing loan.
Sectors: agro-industry, manufacturing, digital, green energy, health.
Announced turnaround: 7 to 14 days after a complete file, with no guarantee of approval.
On 21 October the African Development Bank approved a facility for AFG Bank Cameroun: a EUR 30 million credit line, half of it reserved for SMEs, and a EUR 10 million guarantee. Importers and exporters should ask the bank about this line.
Support programmes
The State wants to bring informal businesses into the formal economy and is reviving dialogue with the private sector. Timetables are still to come.
Source : Journal du Cameroun and Business in Cameroon, 6 November 2026
Meeting in Douala on 4 November, the Ministry of SMEs (MINPMEESA) and the employers' group GECAM adopted 20 recommendations on taxation, value-chain organisation and financing for informal businesses. They have not been implemented yet. Formalising before 2027 puts you in a good position to benefit.
After a six-year break, the 12th edition brought about 300 participants to Douala on 22 and 23 October, around the AfCFTA. Participants asked for dated commitments and better representation of SMEs and women entrepreneurs. No timetable has been published so far.
At the World Investment Forum in Doha (25-27 October), the SME minister proposed extending the Empretec training programme to all ten regions, with a digital and artificial-intelligence component, and mobilising guarantee mechanisms for SMEs.
Agenda
Four events before the end of the year, including MIBS26 in Douala in December.
Eighth edition in Cameroon, focused on women's and youth entrepreneurship: B2B meetings and meetings with public buyers, fairs, company visits. Opening on 16 and closing on 20 November in Yaoundé. Get the local programme from your regional or divisional MINPMEESA office.
Fifth edition, at the Palais des congrès: meetings between project owners, investors and funders. Come with a clear presentation of your business and your funding need.
About 150 exhibitors and 100,000 visitors are expected at Parcours Vita, with business meetings from 21 to 23 December. A year-end showcase for selling.
"Consolidate, innovate, impact": three days of masterclasses, conferences, workshops and business matchmaking. Standard pass CFA 30,000, Prestige pass CFA 80,000 (two admissions and an exhibition stand). Partners announced: O'Haïra Walet, Speed Logistics and Tale.
Information drawn from the public sources cited above, consulted in November 2026. The "Presse" cards are Muslim Invest illustrations that show the headline of the article cited, without any photo from the outlet. Check conditions, amounts and dates with the organisations before taking any step. This issue is not financial, legal or religious advice.