IFC Backs Cameroon Logistics Firm Catramp with CFA5 Billion for Regional Expansion

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group, has approved a €7.5 million loan, equivalent to about CFA5 billion, for Cameroon-based logistics company Catramp.

Announced on June 19, 2026, the financing will help the company expand and modernize its logistics infrastructure in Douala and Kribi while supporting its growth in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR).

Backed by the International Development Association’s (IDA) Private Sector Window, the funding will allow Catramp to increase its Category A warehousing capacity in Cameroon and the two neighboring countries. The company plans to improve storage conditions, strengthen logistics services, and better serve businesses operating along major regional trade routes.

Focus on Central Africa’s Key Trade Corridors

The Douala-N’Djamena and Douala-Bangui corridors are among Central Africa’s most important trade routes. They provide Chad and the Central African Republic, both landlocked countries, with access to Cameroon’s ports, including Douala and Kribi. Despite their strategic importance, these corridors face persistent challenges, including limited modern infrastructure, high transport costs, lengthy transit times, insufficient storage facilities, and administrative bottlenecks.

These constraints increase costs for businesses and slow regional trade. By strengthening Catramp’s logistics network, IFC hopes to improve the movement of goods, strengthen supply chains, and support trade between Cameroon, Chad, and the Central African Republic.

According to the institution, the project could create about 420 direct jobs while supporting local businesses and regional value chains. “This investment shows how ambitious African companies can access long-term financing to support growth, create jobs, and emerge as leading regional players,” said Charlotte Ndaw, IFC’s resident representative for Central Africa.

More Than Financing

Beyond the loan, Catramp will receive technical support through the first Cameroonian cohort of IFC’s Local Champions Initiative.

The program will help the company strengthen management practices, improve corporate governance, enhance internal systems, and prepare for future investment opportunities.

For Catramp Chief Executive Officer Justin Talom, the financing marks an important step in the company’s development. “It will allow us to accelerate our investments, expand our logistics capacity, and better serve our customers across the region,” he said.

For IFC, the broader objective is to support the growth of local companies capable of becoming regional leaders in strategic sectors such as logistics. In a region where transport costs remain high, improvements in warehousing and transit infrastructure could play an important role in making trade more competitive.

The project’s success, however, will depend on several factors, including the quality of Catramp’s investments, the modernization of its logistics operations, the strength of its governance, and operating conditions along the trade routes serving Chad and the Central African Republic.

Frédéric Nonos