- What the YouTube Partner Program list says about Cameroon
- Other YouTube features that don't list Cameroon
- What the AdSense payment table does show for Cameroon
- Routes that don't depend on the Partner Program
- Francs, banks and tax for a Cameroon-based creator
- Using your channel as a shop window in the meantime
- Keep building, so you're ready if the list changes
- Frequently asked questions
Cameroon isn't on YouTube's Partner Program or expanded Partner Program country lists, so you can't join the programme from there under the current lists. Brand deals paid directly, in francs, and your own products are the routes that remain.
I'll give you the plain answer first, because it saves you months of wasted effort. On YouTube's official country lists, Cameroon isn't there. That affects what you can switch on, and it changes the plan. This page covers what the official pages document for Cameroon and the routes that remain, rather than pretending the usual advice applies.
What the YouTube Partner Program list says about Cameroon
YouTube says you must live in a country or region where the Partner Program is available to join it. Cameroon isn't on that list. It isn't on the expanded list either, which is the separate, earlier-access tier for fan funding and Shopping. YouTube states that if you're not in an available country or region, there are no changes to the Partner Program for you.
So a Cameroonian channel can have a million views and still not be able to apply, because the rule is about where you live, not just your numbers. I'm not suggesting workarounds. Giving Google another country's details would mean misrepresenting yourself, and I wouldn't advise it.
Other YouTube features that don't list Cameroon
Channel memberships, Super Chat and Super Stickers are not available in Cameroon, as it's absent from both lists. YouTube Premium and Music Premium aren't listed for Cameroon either. These are the earning routes that sit alongside ads, so Cameroonian channels don't currently have them.
Google's AdSense for YouTube payment-method table covers 18 African countries and territories, including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Cameroon isn't one of them. That fits the picture above: the YouTube table follows the Partner Program list.
What the AdSense payment table does show for Cameroon
There's one document where Cameroon does appear. The combined AdSense payment-method table has a Cameroon row for AdSense itself, with wire transfer marked yes and check, EFT and Hyperwallet marked no. That is Google's table for the AdSense product that publishers use on websites, and it tells you wire is the method offered for a Cameroon payment address.
It doesn't tell you that you'd be approved, or that YouTube earnings could be sent there. If you run a blog or website as well as a channel, that's a separate application with its own policies. Don't set up your finances on the assumption that a payment row means an approved account.
Routes that don't depend on the Partner Program
| Route | Available in Cameroon? | Source checked |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube Partner Program | No, Cameroon isn't on the list | YouTube Help country list |
| Expanded Partner Program | No | YouTube Help expanded programme page |
| Channel memberships, Super Chat | No | YouTube Help availability pages |
| AdSense payments to a Cameroon address | Wire listed for AdSense | Google AdSense payment table |
| Brand deals with local businesses | Yes, you agree terms directly | Your own agreements |
| Selling your own products or services | Yes, YouTube just brings the audience | Your own business |
Brand deals and your own products are where I'd put the effort. A channel that helps Cameroonian viewers with something specific, whether that's farming, music, cooking, small business or football commentary, can send paying customers to a business even without ad revenue. Agree the price and the delivery in writing, and keep a record of every payment.
Francs, banks and tax for a Cameroon-based creator
Cameroon uses the Central African CFA franc, issued by the Bank of Central African States, whose headquarters is in Yaounde. It's pegged to the euro. Whatever route pays you, ask your bank what it charges for an incoming international transfer and how it converts the money.
Cameroon has no entry on the IRS list of United States income tax treaties. That matters for US withholding if you ever do reach a payment programme that applies it, and a Cameroonian accountant is the right person for anything about declaring your income.
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Using your channel as a shop window in the meantime
A channel doesn't need ad revenue to be worth running. Put a clear description under every video, say what you offer and how people in Douala, Yaounde or elsewhere in Cameroon can reach you, and pin a comment with the same details. Viewers who find a useful video are warm leads for a business, and that's income that doesn't wait for any list.
Keep a simple record too: which videos bring enquiries, which topics your viewers ask about, and which brands in your area already advertise. That record is your pitch when you approach a business for a paid video, and it's your evidence if YouTube ever opens the programme to Cameroon.
Keep building, so you're ready if the list changes
Official lists can change, and Cameroon could appear on a later version of them. If it does, the channels that already have regular uploads and a loyal audience will be in the best position. The requirements are the same as elsewhere: 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 qualified watch hours in the last 12 months, or 1,000 subscribers with 10 million qualified Shorts views in the last 90 days.
Meanwhile, check the neighbouring picture on other platforms with my guide to monetising a Facebook page in Cameroon. For how a country that is on the list handles it, Zimbabwe's YouTube route shows the payment side, and what YouTube pays once you're monetised covers the money.
Frequently asked questions
Can I monetise a YouTube channel in Cameroon?
Cameroon isn't on YouTube's list of Partner Program countries, so a channel based there can't join the programme under YouTube's current country list.
Is Cameroon on the expanded YouTube Partner Program list?
No. Cameroon isn't on the expanded country list either.
How can I earn from my channel in Cameroon without monetisation?
Brand deals paid directly by businesses, selling your own products or services, and growing an audience for when the list changes.
Does AdSense pay to a Cameroon address?
Google's AdSense payment table lists wire transfer for Cameroon, but that doesn't mean YouTube earnings or an AdSense approval are available to you.
Are channel memberships or Super Chat available in Cameroon?
No. Cameroon is absent from both availability lists.
