Today, we鈥檒l use the same lens to look at Cameroon, C么te d鈥橧voire, and Senegal. All three countries feature strong demand for study abroad, primarily for French-language instruction but with significant segments willing to study in English or another language.

C么te d鈥橧voire

C么te d鈥橧voire has been on a positive economic performance trajectory. summarises:

鈥淐么te d’Ivoire’s economic growth is solid and remarkably resilient in the face of global shocks 鈥� growth is expected to reach 6.2% in 2025 and 6.4% on average through 2027, driven by hydrocarbons, services, and private investment sectors.鈥�

Another market fundamental is extremely strong. UN黑料官网 notes: 鈥淏y 2050, C么te d鈥橧voire will be the country with the tenth highest proportion of people under 18 years of age.鈥�

says: 鈥淐么te d’Ivoire has the third-largest economy in ECOWAS at US$72.4 billion and has experienced average annual growth of 8% since 2010, making it one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa.鈥�

• GDP growth projection: 6.1%% in 2024 ().
  
• Population: 38.2 million.
  
• Median age: 18. Over 50% of the population is .
  
• Main cities: Abidjan, Bouak茅, Daloa, San Pedro, and capital city Yamoussoukro.
  
• Proportion of population in poverty: . Middle-class estimates are not available.
  
• Currency performance: The CFA franc appreciated by just over 6% against the US dollar from 2024 to 2025.
  
• Inflation rate: Only 0.3% ().
  
• Youth unemployment: The official stat is that under 4% of Ivorians aged 15鈥�24 are unemployed. But estimates that 60-65% are not employed in the formal economy.
  
• Outbound mobility trends: About 16,000. The are France (by far, with close to 11,000), Belgium, Canada, Morocco, UK, US, India, China, and Russia.
  
• English-language proficiency: 鈥溾��

Outlook: C么te d鈥橧voire is an increasingly important emerging market due to its strengthening economy, shrinking poverty rate, low inflation, and currency performance. Lack of jobs and quality higher education are drivers of outbound mobility. Despite C么te d’Ivoire鈥檚 improving economic performance, youth unemployment is considered by many to be . Most students speak French as their first language, but there is also demand for English-language studies and the UK, for one, is actively recruiting in C么te d鈥橧voire.

Senegal

Senegal is another high achiever in terms of recent economic performance in Africa. The country 鈥� one of the most stable and secure in the region 鈥� surpassed its 2024 GDP growth mark (6.1%) .

The IMF gives a fairly glowing review of the situation this year:

鈥淭he authorities deserve recognition for their continued commitment to transparency, fiscal discipline, and sound macroeconomic management. Despite global uncertainty and tighter financing conditions, Senegal鈥檚 economy remains robust in 2025, supported by the first full year of oil and gas production and a rebound in agriculture. Real GDP growth is projected at about 7.9 percent this year, with non-hydrocarbon growth around 3.4 percent, while inflation is expected to average about 1.4 percent.

Fiscal performance through end-September has been broadly in line with the revised 2025 budget, with revenues on target and non-priority spending contained. The overall deficit is projected to narrow sharply from 13.4 percent of GDP in 2024 to 7.8 percent in 2025, reflecting the authorities鈥� strong commitment to consolidation.鈥�

Senegal is a Francophone nation, but the government is trying to increase English-language proficiency in order to allow Senegal and its people to participate more fully in the global economy. English is now being introduced in nursery schools as part of this aim.

• GDP growth projection: 7.9% ()
  
• Population: 18.9 million. Senegal is among .
  
• Median age: 19.5. Over 60% of the population is .
  
• Main cities: Dakar, Touba, and Thi猫s.
  
• Proportion of population in the middle class: Official stats are not available but especially in Dakar, .
  
• Currency performance: The CFA franc appreciated by just over 6% against the US dollar from 2024 to 2025.
  
• Inflation rate: 1.9% in October.
  
• Youth unemployment: The official stat is that 4.4% of Senegalese aged 15鈥�24 are unemployed, but estimates the real rate of Senegalese youth not employed in the formal economy is above 60%.
  
• Outbound mobility trends: Over 20,000, with the being France (over 16,000), Morocco, and Canada.
  
• English-language proficiency: 鈥溾��

Outlook: Senegal鈥檚 economic performance, stability, global-mindedness, and fast-growing population make this country a very interesting emerging market.

Cameroon

(IMF) downgraded economic growth in Cameroon in 2025 to reach 3.8%, noting that tighter financing conditions are part of the downgraded estimate. At the same time the IMF noted that Cameroon has 鈥渕ade substantial progress on its climate policy framework and enhanced readiness for climate adaptation and mitigation.鈥�

notes:

鈥淐ameroon has one of Central Africa鈥檚 largest economies, benefiting from a mix of oil production, agriculture, and manufacturing. The country is a key exporter of crude oil, cocoa, coffee, and timber. However, economic growth has been constrained by weak governance, infrastructure bottlenecks, and ongoing security challenges in the Anglophone regions, where separatist conflicts have disrupted business activity.鈥�

The IMF and other external lenders have been working with and funding the Cameroonian government to strengthen the country鈥檚 economic resilience. Exports make up only about 15% of total GDP, which is low by global standards, bracing the country somewhat from external shocks. But because oil and petroleum make up over half of export earnings, the economy remains vulnerable. Cameroon鈥檚 oil revenues shrunk by 13% this year.

Demand is strong from Cameroon given insufficient state funding of education (13% of total budget), lack of high-quality educational options (especially for English-language Cameroonians), and low availability of jobs in the formal economy.

• GDP growth projection: 3.8% in 2025 ().
  
• Population: 30 million.
  
• Median age: 18. Over 60% of the population is under the age of 25.
  
• Main cities: Douala and 驰补辞耻苍诲茅.
  
• Proportion of population in poverty: 30%. Middle-class estimates are not available.
  
• Currency performance: Between October 2024 and October 2025, the CFA franc BEAC appreciated by 6% relative to the US dollar and in the past 12 months, it rose by 9%.
  
• Inflation rate: 3.3% (as of mid-2025), a decrease from 7.4% in 2023 and the lowest rate since 2021.
  
• Youth unemployment: 6.2% of those aged 15鈥�24 are in the formal economy. But the informal economy is where 90% of Cameroonians work, indicating challenges for youth to obtain stable jobs.
  
• Outbound mobility trends: About 30,000. Cameroon is the second largest African sender of students abroad after Nigeria. The main destinations are France, Canada, Germany, China, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa.
  
• English-language proficiency: 鈥溾��

Outlook: Cameroon has a relatively small population but a high proportion of youth. Study abroad drivers for 2026 will be low inflation, currency strengthening, and demand for high quality education and jobs. There is demand for both English and French studies, since Cameroon is a bilingual country.

For more information, please see:

• “Drivers of study abroad in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, and Vietnam“
• “East African student mobility: Current trends and future possibilities“

The post Drivers of study abroad in C么te d鈥橧voire, Cameroon, and Senegal appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Official name: Republic of Cameroon

Geography: Cameroon is in Central Africa on the Gulf of Guinea. It shares borders with Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of the Congo.

Capital: 驰补辞耻苍诲茅

Population: 30 million (2025) and rapidly growing (14th in the world).

Youth population: Over 60% of the population is under 25

Median age: 18

GDP: US$56 billion (projected 2025)

Currency: Central African Franc (CFA franc)

Official languages: English and French (but more than 24 other African languages are spoken in the country). Many Cameroonians speak an African language first, and either English or French second. The ratio of French to English proficiency is estimated at 80%鈥�20%, and this stems back to post-WWI when the League of Nations stripped Germany of its claim on Cameroon and accorded four-fifths of Cameroon to France and one-fifth to Britain for governance.

Main language of instruction: French in some regions, English in others, and bilingual instruction in some cases. For decades, the aim has been for bilingualism throughout the country, but most Cameroonians are not functionally proficient in both languages. The language of instruction follows regional lines, echoes colonial legacies, and reflects ethnic divisions in some cases.

English proficiency: 鈥溾�� according to the EF Proficiency Index.

Religion: Christianity is predominant, but Islam is followed by 30%.

Outbound students: About 30,000. Cameroon is the second largest African sender of students abroad after Nigeria.

Main student cities: 驰补辞耻苍诲茅, Douala, Buea, and Bamenda.

Main destination countries for Cameroonian students: France, Canada, Germany, China, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa.

The Republic of Cameroon is one of the few countries in the world containing significant demand for both French and English higher education programmes. The country鈥檚 development is highly influenced by German, French, and British colonial legacies and the languages associated with them.

After WWI, Cameroon鈥檚 governance was divided between France and Britain. Most of Cameroon was put under French influence, while Britain was left with about a fifth of the country in the Northwest and Southwest regions. That political and geographic division was arbitrary, and it divided cultures and ethnic groups that had once been very similar. What鈥檚 more, as a colonial power, France invested more in the economic and education systems of Cameroon relative to the British, who focused their interest on Cameroon鈥檚 larger neighbour, Nigeria.

Cameroon achieved independence in 1960, but resentment is high among English-speaking Cameroonians about the advantages their French-speaking compatriots enjoyed in colonial times and now. Francophone-majority regions are treated much more favourably by the country鈥檚 present-day, independent government.

About 25% of Cameroon鈥檚 population speaks English (close to 3 million people), while 58% (about 6.5 million) speak French. Drilling down further, roughly a fifth of English-speakers speak English and not French (but may speak African languages in addition to English), while almost half speak only French (and possibly other African languages) and not English. On average, a Cameroonian speaks three languages a day.

A bitter civil war has been ongoing for seven years, and it is often called 鈥渢he Anglophone crisis鈥� given the conflict鈥檚 roots in English-speakers鈥� anger about lack of economic opportunity, educational access and quality, and benevolent governance.

explains:

鈥淥pportunities for higher education in English are minimal. Though the University of 驰补辞耻苍诲茅 is officially bilingual, a 2020 study found that 80% of lectures are conducted in French. Textbooks in English are usually poorly translated. Key laws, including systems of corporate regulations, often lack English translations. Civil servants are overwhelmingly Francophone and conduct their services in French. In 2017, out of 36 political ministers with a portfolio, only one was Anglophone. Francophone lawyers, judges, and teachers are frequently given positions in the Anglophone regions. Poverty levels in the Anglophone regions are among the highest in the country. Political discrimination is rampant. Since the 1990s, the government has issued restrictions on Anglophone advocacy groups ranging from restricting gatherings in public buildings to banning books and media examining the crisis.鈥�

(WENR) notes that 2017 was a flash point of the tensions around language instruction in Cameroon:

鈥淸In 2017], the Anglophone-based Cameroon Teachers Trade Union (CATTU) presented the central government with a list of grievances, including higher rates of admission of Francophone students into professional and technical schools, accusations of doctoring admissions conducted in 驰补辞耻苍诲茅 for Francophone students applying to the Anglophone region鈥檚 two main universities, and the appointment of Francophone teachers lacking a command of English to Anglophone schools.

Even at the country鈥檚 two Anglophone universities, Bamenda and Buea, Francophone students outnumber Anglophone students in professional departments by a ratio of nine to one. Some university entrance examinations have even been offered exclusively in French or in poorly translated English, putting Anglophone applicants at a severe disadvantage.鈥�

The tensions escalated to armed conflict, shuttering schools and closing off educational opportunities for Anglophone students in the Northwest and Southwest regions. Since then, some schools have reopened but educational quality for Anglophone students continues to suffer. Many Anglophone teachers have reported being forced to teach in French to English-speaking students. And students in the Northwest and Southwest regions are living amidst a violent insurgency by Anglophone separatists striving for independence from Cameroon.

Across all regions, the Cameroonian government allocates only 13% of total annual budget to education. By comparison, the education budget line is 24% of the total in Morocco.

How do language tensions influence outbound mobility from Cameroon?

There is great demand for study abroad in all regions of Cameroon and from Anglophone and Francophone students. However, Francophone students are often privy to higher quality primary and secondary education than their Anglophone counterparts, and their numbers are far greater. Because of regional economic disparities, Anglophone families are often less able to fund their children鈥檚 education abroad. Institutions recruiting Anglophone Cameroonians should have robust financial, language, and academic supports/pathways in place in order for those students to succeed.

Official data show that Cameroonians (of whom most are Francophone) currently favour the overseas destinations of France (10,880 Cameroonians in 2023/24, +11% y-o-y), Canada: 8,095 in 2023/24, +100% y-o-y), and Germany: 6,780 (+3% y-o-y). But there are many Cameroonians in other places as well, including Morocco (where 19,000 students out of a total of 23,500 international students are African), South Africa, Tunisia, and China.

Strong moves by China and Morocco

Cameroon is part of China鈥檚 Belt and Road soft power initiative, and given the economic opportunities opened by Chinese investment in their country, increasing numbers of Cameroonian students are learning Mandarin. is also offering robust scholarships to Cameroonian students.

Morocco, too, is flexing its soft power in sub-Saharan Africa and invests the most of any African country in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States (CEMAC). Pierre Oyonomvogo and Sanae Kasmi, scholars at the Euromed University of F猫s, :

鈥淭he president of the Association of Cameroonian Students in Morocco reports that there are approximately 300 Cameroonian students with scholarships, and 150 students in private universities in Morocco. To allow Cameroonian students to migrate, Morocco through the Ministry of Higher Education of Cameroon, has for years been launching a call for applications for scholarships.鈥�

Economic growth and inequities

The UN considers Cameroon a lower-middle-income economy with 鈥渞ich natural resources, including oil and gas, mineral ores, and high-value species of timber and agricultural products, such as coffee, cotton, cocoa, maize, and cassava.鈥� These natural resources are naturally a draw for foreign investors and represent incredible potential for Cameroon鈥檚 development. The economy by 4.4% in 2025, an expected expansion tied to rising global commodity prices.

However, corruption is rife in the country (the 2024 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Cameroon 140th of 180 countries, where #1 is the least corrupt and #180 is the most) and income disparities are significant. notes:

鈥淧overty reduction in Cameroon has stagnated over the past 20 years, with approximately 4 in 10 Cameroonians living below the national poverty line. The household survey data from 2021-2022 suggests that 23.0% of the population lives below the extreme international poverty line with only $2.15 per person per day, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP).鈥�

The drive to emigrate is strong, and a very large proportion of Cameroonian students want to emigrate after studying abroad to increase their opportunities for decent salary and for the chance to send money home to their families. Immigration pathways are a main reason that Canada has risen steeply as a popular destination among Cameroonians up to 2023. Canada鈥檚 immigration settings have tightened since 2024 for most international students, but the Canadian government continues to encourage Francophone international students to come to the country to study and immigrate.

Cameroon is a hotly contested student market, and institutions in many destinations are offering scholarships to establish a solid presence in the country.

Higher education

Access to higher education is low in Cameroon (14% in 2018) relative to the rest of the world, but high in the context of Central Africa (where the average is closer to 9%).

Most Cameroonians who attend one of the eight domestic universities choose French-language programmes. The two Anglophone universities are the University of Buea in the Southwest, and the University of Bamenda in the Northwest.

The private sector is expanding quickly (over 200 institutions today), and as in many other emerging markets, it is doing so in response to low access to public universities. The following chart from WENR shows this rise over the years. Enrolments are surging despite higher fees at private institutions, underlining the demand for higher education in Cameroon.

For additional background, please see:

• 鈥�Both Russia and Japan moving to intensify international student recruitment in Africa鈥�
• 鈥�East African student mobility: Current trends and future possibilities鈥�
• 鈥�New white paper offers unique insights on recruiting in Africa鈥�

The post Recruiting international students in Cameroon appeared first on 黑料官网 Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.