Cameroon is increasingly attracting savings from its diaspora: nearly 1.5 million Cameroonians live abroad and transfer more than 400 billion francs CFA to the country every year, according to estimates cited at the launch of the “Diaspora-SIC” programme in May 2026. A growing share of these flows is seeking to be invested in real estate, in Douala and Yaoundé. Yet investing from a distance remains a high-risk exercise: land disputes, forged titles, unfinished projects and unreliable intermediaries. This guide takes stock, with figures to back it up, of real prices per square metre, rental yields and the Cameroonian legal framework in 2026.
Price per m²: what property in Douala and Yaoundé actually costs
Cameroonian real estate prices vary tenfold depending on the neighbourhood. In 2026, the ranges observed for plots of 300 to 500 m² in Douala go from around 3,000 francs CFA per m² in the far outskirts to more than 200,000 francs CFA per m² in upmarket neighbourhoods.
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Douala: Bonapriso, the benchmark residential neighbourhood
Bonapriso and Bonanjo concentrate the premium real estate of the economic capital. Land there is commonly negotiated between 80,000 and 200,000 francs CFA per m². The best-located plots exceed this range: a 2024 listing offered a 514 m² plot in “Nouveau Bonapriso” at 350,000 francs CFA per m², while plots in the administrative centre of Bonanjo could reach 1 million francs CFA per m². At the other end of the spectrum, peripheral areas display very accessible prices: Akwa and Deido between 40,000 and 100,000 francs CFA per m², Makepe and Logpom between 15,000 and 40,000, Kotto and PK14 between 8,000 and 25,000, and rapidly expanding sectors such as Yassa, Logbessou or Japoma between 3,000 and 15,000 francs CFA per m².
Yaoundé: Bastos and the administrative centre
In Yaoundé, Bastos and the administrative centre play the role of Bonapriso. Land there generally trades between 60,000 and 150,000 francs CFA per m². Titled and scarce plots clearly exceed this range: recent listings offered titled plots in Bastos between 300,000 and 350,000 francs CFA per m² (400 m² at 140 million francs CFA, 700 m² at 300,000 francs CFA per m²), and the Golf Melingui area at around 200,000 to 220,000 francs CFA per m². Moving further out, prices drop: Nlongkak and Mvan between 25,000 and 60,000 francs CFA per m², Nsimeyong and Odza between 10,000 and 30,000, and the university zones of Soa and Nkolbisson between 5,000 and 15,000 francs CFA per m².
Rental yields: how much does a property in Cameroon return?
The firm Knight Frank estimates that rental investment in Yaoundé and Douala offers annual return rates of between 7.5 and 10%. Local observers put forward a broader average range, from 5 to 12% depending on the type of property: single rooms built on family land display the highest gross yields (8 to 15%), two-room apartments sit between 5 and 8%, and well-located commercial premises between 6 and 12%. The collaborative database Numbeo, more cautiously, evaluates the gross rental yield in downtown Douala at 4.32% and that outside the city centre at 3.42%. The realistic range therefore lies between 5 and 10% for a disciplined investor who buys at the right price and avoids the pitfalls of the market.
Legal framework: land title and transfer taxes
The Cameroonian land regime is based on ordinance no. 74-1 of 6 July 1974, supplemented by decree no. 76-165 of 27 April 1976 and law no. 2019/022 of 24 December 2019. The principle is simple and imperative: in Cameroon, only the land title confers full and definitive private ownership, enforceable against all — including the State and third parties. In the two Anglophone regions (North-West and South-West), its equivalent is the Land Certificate.
Obtaining a land title involves a registration procedure handled by the departmental delegation of land affairs, with a contradictory demarcation carried out by a surveyor accredited by the National Order of Expert Surveyors of Cameroon (ONGEC). According to the Ministry of State Property, Cadastre and Land Affairs (MINDCAF), opening a file costs 3,000 francs CFA, and the land fee amounts to 5 francs CFA per m² in urban areas (minimum 5,000 francs CFA) and 1 franc CFA per m² in rural areas (minimum 3,000 francs CFA).
Transfer taxes apply upon the transfer of ownership: the subdivision of an existing property is taxed at 2% of the purchase price in the case of an onerous acquisition, and at 1% of the market value in the case of a gratuitous acquisition. The conversion of a deed into a land title is taxed at 1% of the property’s value. On the rental tax side, the 2026 finance law lowered the withholding tax on rents from 15% to 10%, aligned with the liberatory rate of article 89 of the General Tax Code. Finally, while the land title is in principle “definitive, unassailable and inviolable”, it can be annulled in the event of procedural irregularity or fraud, which justifies a systematic check at the land registry before any signing.
Promising sectors in 2026
- Premium rental in Bonapriso and Bastos: sustained demand from executives, expatriates and institutions, high and stable rents.
- Middle-class housing: the national deficit is officially estimated at 2.5 million units, while the Société immobilière du Cameroun (SIC) has built just over 11,000 homes in more than 70 years.
- Student rental: in Soa, the presence of the University of Yaoundé I guarantees constant demand for rooms, rented at 15,000 to 25,000 francs CFA per month.
- Peripheral areas with capital gains potential: Japoma, Yassa and Lendi benefit from the new airport and the Douala-Yaoundé motorway; these are the areas with the strongest capital gains potential over a 5–10 year horizon.
- “Diaspora-SIC” programme: launched in May 2026, it aims to channel the savings of Cameroonians abroad towards the SIC via a secure catalogue, online payments and construction site monitoring.
Risks never to underestimate
- Land disputes and forged titles: only a land title verified at the land registry guarantees ownership; plots without a title or with a simple occupancy certificate remain vulnerable.
- Double sale: the same plot sold to multiple buyers is a classic scenario; consulting the land registry before purchase is essential.
- Dishonest intermediaries: deal only with the direct owner, a notary or an institutional developer.
- Unfinished projects and delivery delays: the diaspora’s distrust is largely based on construction sites that were never delivered.
- Administrative delays: registration and obtaining a building permit (mandatory beyond 20 m²) can take several months.
Comparison table: Douala vs Yaoundé
| City | Price per m² (land, premium neighbourhood) | Gross rental yield |
|---|---|---|
| Douala — Bonapriso / Bonanjo | 80 000 to 200 000 FCFA (up to 350 000 in the micro-centre) | 7.5 to 10% (Knight Frank); up to 12% for commercial |
| Yaoundé — Bastos / administrative centre | 60 000 to 150 000 FCFA (up to 350 000 for rare titled plots) | 7.5 to 10% (Knight Frank) |
FAQ
What is the minimum budget to invest in real estate in Cameroon?
A plot in a peri-urban area can be purchased from 500,000 francs CFA, and a starter rental investment (room on family land) amounts to between 2 and 4 million francs CFA. For an apartment or a plot in a sought-after neighbourhood in Douala or Yaoundé, expect several tens of millions of francs CFA.
Is a land title mandatory to buy safely?
Yes. In Cameroon, only the land title confers full, definitive ownership enforceable against all. Before any purchase, require it and have its authenticity verified at the land registry to rule out forged titles and double sales.
How has rental taxation changed in 2026?
The 2026 finance law reduced the withholding tax on rents from 15% to 10%, aligned with the liberatory rate of article 89 of the General Tax Code. This is good news for landlords, who see their tax burden on rents reduced.
Also read: Investing in real estate in Africa — full comparison of 6 markets.
