4th CEMAC Capital Markets Awards to focus on financing regional growth.

It was launched on Monday, April 6, during a press conference held at the headquarters of the Central African Stock Exchange, BVMAC. Financial market actors and institutional partners attended the presser ahead of the main event scheduled for April 23 to 24, 2026.

Organised by La Lettre SARL, a bimonthly publication, the promoter, Salomon Douala Epale, said the annual initiative serves as a platform to promote, popularise and deepen understanding of capital markets within the CEMAC sub-region. 

This year’s edition will hold under the theme: “Financing the economic growth of CEMAC countries through the financial market”.

Speaking during the press conference, the Director General of Central African Stock Exchange, Louis Banga Ntolo, underscored the importance of capital markets in mobilising long-term resources for development. 

He noted that while equities do not guarantee fixed returns like bonds, consistent dividend distribution remains key to building investor confidence and sustaining market participation. 

He further stressed that the financial market must be positioned not merely as a tool for debt financing, but as a strategic instrument for long-term economic growth.

Expanding scope of awards

A major innovation for the 2026 edition is the expansion of award categories. Traditionally centred on brokerage firms and asset managers, the awards will now also recognise listed companies and benchmark issuers.

According to organisers, particular emphasis will be placed on companies with strong dividend policies, aimed at encouraging transparency and boosting investor trust in the market.

Boosting investor participation

Stakeholders expressed concern over the low level of participation in the region’s financial market, which counts fewer than 10,000 active investors out of an estimated 60 million inhabitants.

Officials said the awards initiative seeks to reverse this trend by promoting financial literacy, encouraging savings mobilisation, and demonstrating the stock market as an accessible tool for wealth creation rather than an exclusive domain for experts.

Regional, international interest

The event, organizers said, continues to attract growing interest across the sub-region, with expected participation from countries including the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, and Congo.

In Cameroon, major public and private sector actors are also expected to take part, reflecting increasing national engagement in capital market activities.

The two-day event, to be hosted at the Kristal Palace Hotel, will feature; an international symposium on strategies to strengthen financial markets in the CEMAC zone, panel discussions bringing together experts, regulators, and investors, a gala night recognising top-performing financial market actors. 

The event will also commemorate the 20th anniversary of the stock market listing of the Société des Eaux Minérales du Cameroun, considered a landmark in the development of the regional financial market.

Aside recognition, organisers said the initiative is designed to foster inclusive economic growth, by promoting stock market culture and financial education, facilitating access to finance for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises, SMEs, and startups, encouraging digital transformation in financial services and, enhancing the mobilisation of long-term savings. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3754 of Wednesday April 08, 2026