Coffins in need of buyers

The informal business is currently slow in Yaoundé.

"People do not die enough, and this is not to our advantage." Mathieu Tiga, seller of coffins to the neighborhood undertaker says he eagerly awaits customers who are now scarce. "Cameroonians have become cautious, which is why there are very few deaths lately, and we suffer," says Mathieu.

All around him, several other colleagues have set up their goods on a large area at Elig-Edzoa rails. Young men sweating under the hot sun are stepping up to finish building the coffins.

We learn here that the favorable sales period is between December and January. Prices of coffins vary between 50,000 and 700,000 F.Cfa depending on the material used for its manufacture.

"We work hard but in the afternoon we do not do much. This is the unprofitable period and I open my shop every day except Sunday, from 7 am and close at 17h30min every week.

"I get only two to three clients, but when the market is successful I have at least five clients per week. It is not clear to us how to make ends meet right now," said Maturin.

"The profits are very low now varying between five and 10%. You have to pay rent, electricity, employees, meet my own needs and buy work materials. It's not easy," says David Issouck, another trader who strongly hopes that the situation changes rapidly.