Following independence, many sub-Saharan African countries adopted the language of their colonisers as the official national language. English, French and Portuguese are therefore still widely spoken across the continent.
The Central African country of Cameroon is, however, unique in that it has both English and French as official languages. This is a result of its colonial past where one part of the country was under French control and the other under British rule.
Although language has been a divisive factor in Cameroon, and despite the fact that a large part of the population only speaks indigenous languages, bilingualism is positive for business in the country, says Ousmanou Kouotou, manager for logistics company DHL in Cameroon. He says both English and French-speaking business people will find it relatively easy to operate in the country.
Kouotou has much business experience in West and Central Africa, having worked as country manager for DHL across eight countries in the region.
Read more at howwemadeitinafrica.com
