In most of the world‟s economies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are regarded as
vectors for job and wealth creation. This dynamic presence helps generate growth and redistribute wealth
in developed and developing countries alike. Their important role in reducing poverty in the African
countries is also gaining recognition. However, the venture creation and development process requires an
enabling environment which should provide sufficient quantities and qualities of physical, financial,
human, information and relationship resources. The business environment in Africa and the lack of
resources in the African ecosystem are considered to be among the continent‟s main causes of business
failure and poor competitive capacity. More than 100 SME owner-managers in Cameroon responded to a
survey concerning their ability to compete in a global business environment. Their responses appear to
show that SMEs face some significant challenges if they wish to grow or simply survive. An environment
that offers plenty of resources but is deficient in terms of organization, resource access and stakeholder
behaviour constitutes an additional challenge for these owner-managers – one that they cannot address
without help. The public authorities therefore face an important task, which is to improve the competitive
capacity of the country‟s SMEs by upgrading the current business ecosystem and infrastructures, and
bringing them into line with global standards.