A structural financing gap
Financing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Cameroon remains one of the most persistent structural challenges of the national economy. According to World Bank data for sub-Saharan Africa, fewer than 20% of Cameroonian SMEs have access to formal bank financing, compared with 45% in South Africa. This financial divide holds back the country's growth, employment and economic transformation.
The reasons for this gap are many. First, the information asymmetry between banks and entrepreneurs: financial institutions struggle to assess the creditworthiness of project owners who often operate partly in the informal sector. Second, the lack of sufficient tangible collateral — land in Cameroon remains hard to title and to pledge. Finally, the weak culture of formal bookkeeping deprives SMEs of the financial statements essential to processing a credit application.
The financing options available
Local commercial banks
The Cameroonian banking system has around fifteen institutions licensed by COBAC. The main players — Afriland First Bank, BICEC, SCB Cameroun, Ecobank — offer credit lines to SMEs, with strict access conditions. The average interest rate for an SME loan ranges from 10% to 14% a year. The collateral required generally covers 130% to 150% of the amount borrowed.
Microfinance institutions (MFIs)
MFIs address needs below 10 million FCFA with greater flexibility. CamCCUL, MC2, ACEP Cameroun and Advans Cameroun are major players, among the 385 institutions licensed by COBAC as of end-2025. Their rates are generally higher (15% to 24% a year), but their documentary requirements are lighter and their processing times shorter (15 to 30 days, versus 60 to 90 days at a bank).
Development institutions and regional funds
The Development Bank of the Central African States (BDEAC) finances structuring projects through its credit lines to partner banks. On the credit enhancement side, the mechanism actually available is the State guarantee to enterprises, reorganised by order no. 018/PM of 5 February 2026: it covers up to 70% of the sums due for an SME — defined as a company employing at most 100 people and with annual revenue excluding tax below 3 billion FCFA — against 30% for a large enterprise, for a 0.75% commission in the case of a private company. It is never applied for directly: the bank requests it once it has granted a pre-approval on the file. Alongside it, the African Guarantee Fund covers SME credit risk through its partner banks (a 5 billion FCFA pilot envelope signed with the CDEC in April 2026, aimed at SMEs led by young people and women), together with partial risk guarantees from AfDB and IFC, and MINPMEESA schemes.
A layered financing strategy
The optimal financing strategy for a Cameroonian SME rests on a layered approach: equity, public or international grants, bank or MFI debt, and finally quasi-equity (participating loans, convertible bonds). A personal contribution of at least 20% of the total project cost is generally considered the minimum by Cameroonian banks.
How to optimise your file
Three levers significantly improve a financing file: bringing your accounting and tax affairs into compliance; the quality of the business plan, with documented assumptions and monthly cash-flow projections over 24 months; and lining up collateral before submitting the file. At Mboa Make, we support SMEs at every stage of this financial build-up through to disbursement.
