Resilient demand amid inflation and supply-side pressures
Amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures and persistent food inflation (+5.6%), staple foods in Cameroon remained resilient in 2025, sustained by demand for essential carbohydrate staples, including rice, bread and pasta. Key government interventions, including the elimination of VAT on local flour substitutes (cassava, plantain, and potato flours) and price control agreements with millers struck in 2024 to reduce the price of a 50kg bag of flour by 7%, helped ease price pressures in essential categories such as bread and pasta. Growth was further sustained by a steady shift towards convenience, with processed vegetables and instant noodles gaining traction, and an expanding fast-food culture boosting demand for chilled processed meat. Premiumisation in cakes and niche segments like parboiled, fortified and perfumed rice also added value in 2025. However, affordability remained the dominant factor shaping consumption, as households continued to face elevated energy, transport and food costs.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Staple Foods industry in Cameroon with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
Data and analysis in this report provides further detailed coverage dedicated to a comprehensive range of core packaged food categories.
If you're in the Staple Foods industry in Cameroon, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Staple Foods in Cameroon report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Staple Foods in Cameroon?
- Which are the leading brands in Staple Foods in Cameroon?
- How are products distributed in Staple Foods in Cameroon?
- How is the rise of e-commerce and/or the expansion of modern grocery retail impacting traditional retail?
- What are the key health and wellness concerns driving, or challenging, sales in Staple Foods?
- How significant are vegan and vegetarian dietary requirements in determining sales growth in Cameroon?
- How has COVID-19 impacted consumer demand? To what extent have lockdown, home seclusion and stockpiling boosted sales? Will the longer term economic repercussions of the pandemic stimulate or suppress future growth?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
- How significant will values-based claims, such as sustainability and ethical labelling, be in supporting future growth and brand equity?
Staple Foods in Cameroon
Resilient demand amid inflation and supply-side pressures
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Affordability front and centre: budget pressures drive shift to cheaper staples
Private label surge: retailers expand affordable in-house ranges
Affordable staples and premium pockets: the twin engines of market growth
Policy-driven self-sufficiency to reshape staple production in core categories
Rising health awareness and busier lifestyles drive demand for more convenient and healthier staples among urban shoppers
Olam leverages diversified rice portfolio and fortified brands
Low-cost strategy, diversified product offering, and strategic local partnerships drive dynamic growth of Francap Distribution
Small local grocers lead with micro-unit sales to meet daily nutritional demand amid cost-pressure environment
Supermarkets emerge as growth hotspots with in-house brands and promotions
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
Baked Goods in Cameroon
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Government price controls and local flours drive growth
Price stabilisation and local flour integration sustain bread-led growth
Unpackaged leavened bread is the most dynamic category
Bread to anchor growth, with artisanal cakes, flatbreads, and local packaged pastries adding momentum
Affordability will dominate, but healthier baked goods will carve out a small urban niche
Policy reforms and local flour mandates
Artisanal and in-house bakeries drive freshness-led market dominance
Supermarkets benefit from urban consumers’ growing preference for convenience and hygiene
Small local grocers maintain their lead
Supermarket’s dynamic growth driven by variety, freshness, and in-house consumption
Breakfast Cereals in Cameroon
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Growth supported by rising health awareness, demand for convenience, and wider product variety
Cultural habits continue to limit the broader adoption of breakfast cereals
Children’s breakfast cereals’ dynamism supported by parents’ increasing willingness to offer more diverse breakfast options and improve nutrition
Health and wellness trend set to shift demand
Local production prospects strengthened by raw material abundance and government incentives
Private label outpaces multinationals, offering both value and variety
Francap Distribution combines a broad assortment with competitive pricing and unmatched in-store visibility
Supermarkets lead with exclusive access and strategic pricing
Processed Fruit and Vegetables in Cameroon
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Growth driven by rising fresh produce prices and the convenience of shelf stable options
Processed fruit and vegetables gain ground amid price and time pressures
Growth of shelf stable vegetables driven by their convenience
Gradual uptake of processed fruit and vegetables driven by convenience, urbanisation, and Western eating trends
Overcoming health perceptions: trust-building through simplicity and localised product positioning
Private label leads, offering both value and variety
Belle France’s dynamic growth driven by its affordability
Supermarkets drive emerging demand for shelf stable options
Processed Meat, Seafood and Alternatives To Meat in Cameroon
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Sharp decline of sardine imports due to food safety scares
Premiumisation and fast food demand drive chilled processed meat gains amid sardine-led volume decline
Rising demand for convenient packaged processed meats
Cultural preference for fresh produce and inflationary pressures to restrain growth before convenience gains traction
Processed products face health pushback
Digital catalogues to shape discovery, while e-commerce remains marginal and production innovation lags
Supermarket private label brands dominate with value-added ranges and price promotions targeting urban shoppers
Supermarkets lead, offering a wide product assortment, including value-added options
Rice, Pasta and Noodles in Cameroon
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Rising demand supported by population growth, urbanisation and the affordability of rice, pasta and noodles
Resilient demand driven by persistent inflationary pressures and targeted policy interventions
Rice benefits from population growth, urbanisation and sharp price increases for other staple carbohydrates
Government investment in local production targets self-sufficiency and price stability
Opportunity for fortified and functional products
Strategic investments and policy reforms enhance local production of rice and pasta
Olam’s brand diversification drives competitive gains
Small local grocers lead, offering convenience and affordability
Supermarkets gain momentum with premium offerings and promotions
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Staple Foods
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- Packaged Flat Bread
- Unpackaged Flat Bread
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- Packaged Leavened Bread
- Unpackaged Leavened Bread
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- Packaged Cakes
- Unpackaged Cakes
- Dessert Mixes
- Frozen Baked Goods
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- Packaged Pastries
- Unpackaged Pastries
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- Sweet Pies and Tarts
- Frozen Cakes, Sweet Pies and Tarts
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- Hot Cereals
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- Children's Breakfast Cereals
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- Flakes
- Muesli and Granola
- Other RTE Cereals
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- Shelf Stable Beans
- Shelf Stable Fruit
- Shelf Stable Tomatoes
- Shelf Stable Vegetables
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- Frozen Fruit
- Frozen Processed Potatoes
- Frozen Processed Vegetables
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- Shelf Stable Processed Red Meat
- Shelf Stable Processed Poultry
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- Chilled Processed Red Meat
- Chilled Processed Poultry
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- Frozen Processed Red Meat
- Frozen Processed Poultry
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- Shelf Stable Seafood
- Chilled Processed Seafood
- Frozen Processed Seafood
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- Chilled Meat and Seafood Substitutes
- Frozen Meat and Seafood Substitutes
- Shelf Stable Meat and Seafood Substitutes
- Tofu and Derivatives
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- Chilled Noodles
- Frozen Noodles
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- Instant Noodle Cups
- Instant Noodle Pouches
- Plain Noodles
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- Chilled Pasta
- Dried Pasta
- Rice
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Staple Foods
NOTE: Couscous, polenta and quinoa are excluded from staple foods.
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This report originates from Passport, our Staple Foods research and analysis database.
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