(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon’s export revenues reached $6.7 billion in 2024, according to the report on the competitiveness of the Cameroonian economy published by the Competitiveness Committee, a think tank of the Ministry of Economy. This level places the country 19th among Africa’s main exporters, with a 1.1 % share of the continent’s total exports.
“The analysis of commercial positioning shows that the country is among the top 20 African exporters, ranking 19th in 2024, down one place compared to 2023 due to a decline in export revenues of about $400 million. Cameroonian exports represent 1.1 % of Africa’s total exports. The leading group is South Africa (18.8 %), Nigeria (9.7 %), and Morocco (8.1 %),” the Competitiveness Committee notes.
This top trio confirms a strong concentration of export performance among a few large African economies, well ahead of countries whose market shares remain below 2 %.
Surpassed by Congo and Gabon within CEMAC
Within the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) – which includes Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, and the Central African Republic – Cameroon is overtaken by two of its neighbors. Congo ranks 16th among African exporters, with a 1.4 % market share, while Gabon is 17th with 1.3 %.
Cameroon’s drop to 19th place, behind Brazzaville and Libreville, highlights differences in export performance within the subregion, even though all three countries rely heavily on commodity exports.
Data from the Competitiveness Committee show that among Africa’s top 20 exporters, the bottom nine all have market shares below 2 % of the continent’s total exports. Only South Africa posts a double-digit share at 18.8 %, illustrating the limited contribution of most African countries to global trade compared with a few dominant economies.
Africa’s leading exporters
The situation varies across subregions. Except for Mauritania, all Maghreb countries rank in Africa’s top 10 exporters. Three North African countries — Morocco, Algeria, and Egypt — appear in the top five, just behind South Africa and Nigeria, reflecting the competitiveness of economies in this area.
West Africa is represented in the top 10 by only two countries: Nigeria, 2nd with 9.7 % of the market in 2024, and Côte d’Ivoire, 9th with 3.5 %. Angola, 6th with a 6.3 % share, and the DRC, 8th with 4.8 %, represent Central Africa in this ranking.
South Africa is the only Southern African country in the top 10. Its market share alone exceeds the combined share of the bottom ten countries in the top 20, confirming its dominant position on the continent in export performance.
