With the International Women's Day celebrations just around the corner, a shortage of the March 8th fabric is causing anger in Yaoundé. Markets in Essos and other neighborhoods are seeing prices soar and stocks dwindle. One consumer, Cyrielle Mimb, complains, "They say the fabric is 15,000 FCFA, when it's usually 6,000 or 8,000 FCFA." Impatience is palpable in front of the sales points, raising questions about who is really benefiting from this situation.
The shortage of this fabric, which has become a symbol of Women's Day, is creating shockwaves in the Cameroonian capital. While the official fabric sold for between 6,000 and 10,000 FCFA the previous year, some traders are now asking up to 17,000 FCFA this year. Paradoxically, at CICAM (Cotonnière Industrielle du Cameroun), the authorized distributor, the official price remains fixed at 10,000 FCFA.
Desperate customers report arriving as early as 4 a.m. in the hope of acquiring the precious fabric. Consistent testimonies indicate that stocks are exhausted within the first few hours of delivery. Others accuse intermediaries of buying in large quantities to resell later at exorbitant prices in outlying neighborhoods. This situation fuels frustration and anger among women, with some considering bringing out their old fabrics for lack of anything better.
Beyond the simple question of fabric, this shortage highlights deeper problems related to consumer purchasing power and transparency in the distribution chain. The situation calls on the Cameroonian government, which is now being asked to shed light on the causes of this price surge and repeated stock shortages.
In January 2025, the price of the fabric had already sparked debate, with many women feeling that the 10,000 FCFA asked was excessive, given the country's difficult economic context. Some questioned the very usefulness of this one-off purchase, preferring to invest the money in their income-generating activities.
In 2020, information had already circulated about a possible shortage of the March 8th fabric, with CICAM announcing a production deficit. The company had planned to produce 3 million meters of fabric, but had only manufactured 700,000 at the time of the announcement. Difficulties at the port of Douala had also been mentioned, preventing the receipt of all the fabrics imported from West Africa.
The current shortage of the March 8th fabric continues to fuel anger in Yaoundé. Will the Cameroonian authorities open an investigation to shed light on the distribution malfunctions?
