2025 SBEC Forum Concludes with Clear Roadmap for Scaling Youth and Women-Led SMEs

By Boris Esono Nwenfor

YAOUNDE, Cameroon – After two days of dynamic discussions and entrepreneurial insight, the 2025 SBEC SME Forum concluded in Yaoundé on Wednesday, April 30 with a powerful focus on supporting and scaling youth and female-led enterprises across Cameroon.

Organized by the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Center (SBEC) of the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation, the two-day forum, which ran from April 29-30, 2025, in Yaounde, brought together youth, women-led SMEs, and other stakeholders to confront the challenges facing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and chart a path forward for inclusive economic growth.

Held under the theme “Scaling Up: Expanding Youth and Women-Led SMEs in Cameroon," the forum zeroed in on the critical role women and young entrepreneurs must play in transforming Cameroon's economy. The discussions explored how policy reform, innovation, financing, and education can empower marginalized business leaders and formalize Cameroon's largely informal SME sector.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Dr. Denis Foretia, Co-Chair of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation said: “The objectives were exceeded. We had more than 400 leaders of small and medium-sized enterprises who registered and participated in this two-day SBEC forum on a wide range of issues addressing the policy environment in the country, looking at areas in which they can strengthen themselves to be stronger SMEs, to grow their SMEs and also ensure that they contribute to national economic growth. So from today, the objectives have been exceeded.”

“We are looking to have the 2026 SBEC forum in July of next year. This forum will be very unique in the sense that a lot of the activities around the forum will be planned by the various stakeholders, the SMEs themselves, members of the SBEC network, as well as different financial institutions, policymakers, and different ministries. So it will be led by them. So we are looking to continue this growth.”

Innovation as a Catalyst for SME Growth

Speaking on the theme "Technology Innovation as a Catalyst for SME Performance and Growth," Moffett-Lako, Founder and CEO of Bridge Africa Ventures challenged entrepreneurs to rethink their business models and embrace digital transformation as a necessary strategy for survival and growth.

She highlighted several persistent challenges faced by local SMEs, including lack of online visibility, difficulties in shipping goods, and security concerns that hinder digital transactions. According to her, while these challenges are real, the opportunities presented by the digital economy are far greater—if business owners are willing to adapt.

“Businesses must start leveraging their knowledge to make money online,” she urged. “Knowledge sharing can be monetized through platforms such as niche WhatsApp groups, where people pay to access valuable, limited information.”

Moffett Lako also proposed innovative solutions to one of the major hurdles for SMEs: shipping costs. She called on entrepreneurs to create shipping collectives—cooperative groups that pool resources to reduce the cost of transporting and purchasing goods.

Her message to SMEs was clear: “Change your framework to see the opportunities that exist online. The digital world offers vast potential, but only for those who are ready to engage, learn, and innovate.”

The forum’s workshops and breakout sessions explored topics such as strengthening SMEs’ Competitiveness in Cameroon through Quality Standards and Resilient Policies; From Innovation to Enterprise: Transforming STEM Skills into Scalable Startups, Mastering Branding and Sales for Youth and Women Entrepreneurs, catalyzing Job Creation for Youth: Leveraging Global Commitments and Local Innovations.

SBEC gets Thumps Up from participants

Reflecting on her experience at the SBEC Forum, Bate Olivia, co-founder of Petit Cash SAS said she felt deeply motivated and empowered by the women entrepreneurs who are breaking barriers in Cameroon. “I heard it a lot—women are still lacking in business. There are very few women-led businesses, and we need role models,” she said. “I want to be one of those models to inspire young girls to get into entrepreneurship. Yes, the journey is difficult, but it is possible.”

She emphasized that while passion and ambition are key, they must be matched with strong support systems. “If we do not have support, we will not go far,” she noted, calling on communities and institutions to back women-led businesses more intentionally.

For Olivia, the SBEC Forum provided a powerful space for learning and transformation. “I have been motivated to do more. I want to reach the standards of women who are doing great things—and even surpass them,” she said with determination. “I’ve learned to ignore naysayers. People need our services. People need women’s voices.”

When asked to summarize her experience at the forum, Bate Olivia beamed: “It has been fantastic. I was here in the early years of SBEC, and I can proudly say this has been extraordinary. The forum has grown. It resets mindsets. When you see what others are doing, you are challenged to do more. And that is powerful.”

Support for the 2025 SBEC SME Forum came from the Rising Tide Foundation, John Templeton Foundation, Atlas Network, and the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation.