Cameroon Partners with Commonwealth to Launch eCommerce Strategy for SMEs

Cameroon has partnered with the Commonwealth to launch a plan which will broaden its eCommerce footprint. The agreement will review legal and technical frameworks that already exist, and make recommendations with the aim of creating opportunities for SMEs and raising standards for consumers.

The goal of the project is to integrate one of the most competitive and creative sectors into the larger national growth policy so that they work seamlessly to tackle poverty, unemployment and increase the volume of international exports and trade. Expansion in etrade will help local vendors set stall on the global market and increase their income. Feedback from the eCommerce sector will henceforth inform national trade and industrial development policy. Cameroon is the largest market in central Africa with a vibrant tech sector and the opportunity to emerge as the region’s eCommerce hub.

Speaking about the deal, Commonwealth Senior Director for Trade Paulo Kautoke was full of optimism.

“eCommerce is widely recognised as an important tool for innovation, competitiveness, job creation and growth,” Kautoke said. “It presents a huge potential for entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises from developing countries such as Cameroon to expand their market reach and make their goods and services available to overseas buyers though digital platforms.”

The eCommerce and services space has been built from scratch by independent actors and start-up initiatives without coherent government leadership. Cameroon’s Ministry of Commerce will facilitate adoption of the new strategy by drumming up support from private and public actors whose involvement is needed to guarantee progress.

Collaborating with a major international partner like the Commonwealth will not only provide that basic framework, but open up Cameroonian SMEs to new opportunities and markets. The Commonwealth is made up of 53 member countries with a population of over 2 billion people, 60 percent of whom are under the age of 30. This is the perfect platform on which Cameroon can establish its credibility and grow into an active player on the global stage.

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