The Inter-Patronal Group of Cameroon Gicam has just launched a programme to accelerate small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the arts and culture sector.

For the first batch, the choice was made for the following sectors: cinema and cinema professions; textiles; painting-drawing-illustration; sculpture; publishing house-photography; urban/hip-hop/contemporary dance. Applications must be submitted to the attention of the Executive Director of Gicam no later than 20 October 2022. At the end of the programme, the 20 SME leaders selected will have benefited from a support package combining advice, training, networking and benchmarking trips.

“The accelerator is a tailor-made programme for SMEs with a strong ambition to grow. It is a complete, personalised support programme over 12 months. During this period, the entrepreneurs will benefit from a precise accompaniment on a strategic diagnosis at 360% of the sectors carried out by the Centre“, explains the employers’ organisation.

In Cameroon, the arts and culture industries are still at an embryonic and almost artisanal stage, despite the existing potential. However, neighbouring countries such as Nigeria have developed a large-scale industry in the field of cinema for example, with the creation of “Nollywood” (393 billion/year, according to UNESCO), in reference to the more developed industries of Hollywood in the United States, or Bollywood in India.

Cameroonian products are more or less visible on streaming platforms or in prestigious arts and culture competitions, a situation Gicam aims at making changes in.