Cameroon, Germany Look to PROMOTE 2026 to Deepen Business Ties

Cameroon and Germany are seeking to deepen economic cooperation through greater private sector participation, following talks in Yaounde between Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts Achille Bassilekin III and German Ambassador Christian Sedat.

Discussions focused on expanding German involvement in PROMOTE 2026, the International Exhibition for Enterprise, SMEs and Partnership, scheduled for June 12-21 at the Yaoundé Conference Centre. The event will feature an investment forum bringing together Cameroonian and German businesses to explore partnership, financing and investment opportunities.

Speaking after the meeting, Sedat said both sides had discussed practical ways to encourage investment-led growth and strengthen business ties between the two countries.

“I was honoured to be received by the Minister of SMEs. We had a very fruitful exchange and discussed the importance of private sector investment. At embassy level, we have worked extensively to encourage German companies to come and explore the opportunities Cameroon offers,” the ambassador said.

The planned investment forum is expected to provide a platform for direct business-to-business engagement, particularly in manufacturing, value addition, industrial equipment acquisition and technology transfer. Officials say it will also help connect Cameroonian entrepreneurs with German investors interested in the country’s growing SME sector and productive industries.

During the talks, the Cameroonian government called for stronger technical and financial support for the SME Development Support Programme (PAD-PME). Authorities also advocated wider use of existing cooperation mechanisms, including the WIDU platform and German entrepreneurial networks, to accelerate enterprise modernisation and improve competitiveness.

Bassilekin stressed the importance of leveraging existing European cooperation instruments to strengthen the productive capacity of local enterprises. He highlighted the need to facilitate access to technology, support industrial upgrading and reinforce local value chains, while improving product certification and competitiveness in regional and international markets.

The meeting also reviewed ongoing German support delivered through development agencies GIZ and KfW, which are involved in strengthening Cameroon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, supporting local processing industries and promoting social economy initiatives.

Beyond institutional cooperation, both sides highlighted the role of the Cameroonian diaspora in Germany as a potential source of investment, expertise and technology transfer. Officials expect stronger business links with German partners to support job creation, particularly for young people and women, while contributing to the development of local value chains and the expansion of Cameroon’s industrial base.

Mercy Fosoh