(Business in Cameroon) – Cameroon’s electronic communications market generated 1,022 billion FCFA in 2024, according to the annual market observatory released on 8 December by the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ART). The report shows an 18.06% increase in total pre-tax revenues declared by sector operators, marking a sharp expansion across mobile, internet and mobile financial services.
The mobile telephony segment remained the main driver of growth. Operators posted combined revenues of 630.9 billion FCFA in 2024, compared with 563.9 billion FCFA in 2023. CAMTEL recorded a 19.9% rise in revenue, Orange Cameroon grew by 16.4%, while MTN Cameroon reported an increase of 7.01%. In market share terms, Orange Cameroon led the segment with 50.08%, followed by MTN Cameroon at 47.2% and CAMTEL at 2.67%.
The number of active mobile subscriptions also rose. The sector added 4.3 million new subscriptions in 2024, bringing the total to 31.5 million, a 15.8% increase. Internet subscriptions followed the same upward trajectory. Active internet users reached 15.09 million in 2024, up from 12.6 million the previous year, representing annual growth of 19.1%.
Mobile Money services continued to expand. ART data show active subscriptions to mobile financial services rose to 11.4 million in 2024, an increase of 7.24%. Revenue generated by MTN Mobile Money and Orange Money reached 135.8 billion FCFA, accounting for 13% of total sector income. While mobile networks remained dominant and provided more than 76% of concessionaires’ revenue, the rapid rise in digital financial services contributed to the overall market boost.
Revenue growth was driven by licensed operators of fixed and mobile networks, passive infrastructure operators and providers of mobile financial services. According to the observatory, “in 2024, the revenues of operators increased, despite the inactivity of Viettel Cameroon”. It states that CAMTEL and Orange Cameroon posted respective revenue increases of 4.05% and 16.49%, while MTN Cameroon recorded a decline of 10.67% compared with 2023.
The annual market observatory also provides data on employment and national economic contribution. The sector employed 6,194 people in 2024, reflecting a 2.74% increase from the previous year. Its contribution to GDP reached 3.16%, up from 2.92% in 2023, according to ART. The 2024 edition of the observatory outlines the structure and evolution of Cameroon’s electronic communications market over the past year, presenting data on operator revenues, subscription trends and the growing importance of digital financial services within the national economy.
Mercy Fosoh
