Find Printing and Publishing expertise in Cameroon

Africa’s economic recession has created a ‘book-publishing crisis’ on the continent. Despite this, publishing activities are heavily concentrated in two or three countries in West Africa, including Cameroon. Local publishers in Cameroon include Cradlelight Books which specialise in poetry, religion, drama and history, as well as Langaa Publishers, Patron Publishers and Buma Kor.

Cameroon is rated 100 out of 144 and has a score of 3.1 in the Global Competitiveness Report 2012–13. In comparison to its neighbouring countries, Nigeria is placed 10 places lower in the chart with a score of 2.9. Other countries on the continent, such as Egypt are 85^th on the chart with a score of 4.0 for its intellectual property protection. Like many developing countries Cameroon’s publishing sector is host to dominant transnational publishers. Edicef is 100% owned by international publishing company, Hachette and is the leading player in the publishing sector.

The main languages spoken in Cameroon are English and French, with some indigenous languages still in existence due to the various ethnic groups living in the country. UNICEF reported that between 2003 and 2008, the literacy rate for Cameroon was 68% of the population, with 77% of males and less than 60% of females with basic literacy skills. The country has several universities including, Université de Yaoundé I and II, Université de Dschang, Université de Buéa and Université de Douala, to name a few. There are eight universities in total, of which six are owned by the state, the other two, Bamenda University of Science and Technology and Catholic University of Central Africa, are privately owned. Some of the key industry associations in book publishing include the National Book Development Council, African Book Development, Cameroon Publishers Association and the Anglophone Cameroon Writer’s association.

The Free Media Group publishes Cameroon’s leading independent newspaper. Cameroon has multiple newspapers to accommodate for the Anglo-French languages, some of these include: Afrique Magazine, Le Messenger (which was Cameroon’s first independent newspaper), La Nouvelle Expression and internet-based newspapers, Afrik Cameroon and Africatime Cameroon News. Cameroon University Printing Services is one of the main printers in the country, however it predominately prints for the university.