Discusses the distribution network within the country from how products enter to final destination, including reliability and condition of distribution mechanisms, major distribution centers, ports, etc.
Last Published: 8/6/2019

The majority of products that enter Cameroon come via the Port of Douala, located on the Gulf of Guinea.  The port is beset by rampant corruption and faces numerous capacity issues.  Phase I of a new, deepwater seaport in Kribi, roughly 100 miles south of Douala, opened in March 2018.  As of May 2019, most infrastructure connecting the port to Cameroon’s transportation network has yet to be completed.  Phases II and III, which should be completed within 10 years, will make the port competitive with other ports in Africa.

Cameroon has porous transportation infrastructure.  National highways are paved, but even the road between the two largest cities, Yaoundé and Douala, has only two lanes, and the 140-mile trip routinely takes more than five hours.  A Chinese company is currently building an alternative route, but its completion date is unknown.  Rail is a viable alternative, though the October 2016 Eseka train derailment, which killed 79 people, has called into question the safety and reliability of the network.  Cameroon has two international airports, located in Yaoundé and Douala.  Regional capitals also have airports, but service is limited.

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