Le Grenier

What Le Grenier does

Le Grenier S.A. is a privately held Category 2 Microfinance Institution headquartered in Nkongsamba, Cameroon, regulated by COBAC under the CEMAC/UMAC framework (Agrément N°00207/MINEFI dated 26 March 2020). The institution claims over 26 years of operational presence in the Cameroonian market and operates a network of seven physical branches spanning Douala (Akwa, Ndogpassi, Logpom), Yaoundé, Nkongsamba, Bafang, and Babouantou, with 51–100 employees. It targets underserved individuals and small businesses that lack access to traditional banking, offering a full suite of credit products (overdraft, spot credit, school credit, customs credit up to 100% financing within 72 hours, agricultural credit, and treasury credit) and savings/domiciliation products (term deposits, cash bonds up to 6%, passbook savings up to 4%, daily savings, association savings, salary and pension domiciliation).

The business model is a classic spread-based microfinance model supplemented by transaction fees. Revenue is generated primarily through interest income on loans to SMEs, salaried employees, smallholder farmers, and informal groups (associations and tontines), with a secondary stream from interest spreads on deposits (DAT, cash bonds, passbook savings, daily savings). Commission revenue is earned from money transfer services distributed through branch locations via partnerships with MTN Mobile Money, Orange Money, and Wafacash (which aggregates Moneygram, RIA, and MoneyTrans for international remittances). Banking relationships with BICEC, Ecobank, Afriland First Bank, and SCB Cameroun support interbank operations and clearing.

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer via the physical branch network, supplemented by mobile money interoperability that effectively extends each branch into a mobile money agent. No proprietary technology, digital channels, mobile applications, or API infrastructure is disclosed; the company does not maintain a mobile app. Customer acquisition is largely branch-led and word-of-mouth, and pricing is quote-based rather than published. Ownership is locally held with Vincent FAKAM as Chairman of the Board and Véronique DEUGOUE as Managing Director; no institutional investors, parent company, or funding rounds are disclosed.

Name

Le Grenier

Legal name

LE GRENIER S.A.

Website

https://legrenier-sa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Le Grenier S.A. is a Cameroon-based Category 2 microfinance institution offering deposit accounts, loans, and money transfer services to individuals, SMEs, farmers, salaried employees, and pensioners through seven branches and mobile money partnerships with MTN and Orange.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microfinance

NAICS

Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (52218)

SIC

Savings Institutions, Not Federally Chartered (6036), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

SME, Microfinance & Financial Inclusion Facilities (BPADACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs) (FSABABAC), Agricultural & Rural Microfinance (FSAKAGAG), Cross-Border Payouts & Mass Disbursements (Pay-outs) (FSAMAIAJ)

Keywords

• Microfinance services
• Savings accounts
• Consumer lending
• SME financing
• Mobile money transfers

Headquarters

HQ city

Douala

HQ country

Cameroon

HQ region

Africa

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Loans: Primary revenue stream generated from various credit products including agricultural credit, school credit, customs credit, spot credit, overdraft facilities, and cash credit for SMEs. Interest rates offered are described as competitive in the market.
2. Savings and Deposits: Revenue generated from deposits including term deposits (DAT), savings accounts, cash bonds, and project saving products. Interest rates on savings accounts reach up to 4% and cash bonds up to 6%.
3. Money Transfer Services: Commission revenue from national and international money transfer services through partnerships with MTN Mobile Money, Orange Money, and Wafacash platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Le Grenier S.A. is a Category 2 Microfinance Institution (Agrément N°00207/MINEFI dated 26/03/2020) operating in Cameroon that provides deposit accounts and loans to individuals and SMEs. Its offering spans three main categories: Financements (overdraft, spot credit, school credit, customs credit, agricultural credit, and cash credit), Placements (term deposits, savings certificates, passbook savings, daily savings, association savings, and pension/salary domiciliation accounts), and Money Transfer Services (Wafacash for international transfers plus MTN Mobile Money and Orange Money for domestic transactions).

Product overview

Le Grenier S.A. is a Category 2 Microfinance Institution (Approval N°00207/MINEFI dated 26/03/2020) operating in Cameroon since 1997 with 7 branches. The company offers a comprehensive suite of microfinance products organized across three main categories: Financements (Loans) including overdraft facilities, spot credit, school loans, customs credit, agricultural credit, and treasury credit for SMEs; Placements (Savings) featuring Project Saving, term deposits, savings certificates, passbook savings, daily savings accounts, and association savings; and Money Transfer Services including Wafacash for international transfers and mobile money partnerships with MTN and Orange. The institution targets a diverse clientele including associations, tontines, public and private sector employees, farmers, traders, SMEs/PMIs, households, business people, and pensioners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Découvert (Overdraft) An overdraft facility applied when a current account is in deficit, functioning as a short-term credit line extended to households or businesses for a limited period to cover temporary cash flow shortages.
• Crédit spot An express financing solution designed to help businesses cover exceptional cash needs, provided at very short term and for significant amounts with rapid and flexible response to occasional large unexpected expenses.
• Crédit scolaire A school loan product designed to help parents prepare for their children's school enrollment without financial stress, providing funds for tuition and related educational expenses.
• Crédit douane A customs financing product that facilitates merchandise imports for SMEs by financing up to 100% of customs duties within 72 hours.
• Crédit agricole Agricultural credit aimed at improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by helping them become more productive and access tailored financial services.
• Crédit de caisse A short-term credit product designed for SMEs to address temporary cash flow difficulties, used for personnel remuneration, customs clearance, and purchase of supplies and consumables.
• Project Saving A savings product that accompanies clients from annual savings to realize projects by providing additional financing on top of the amount saved over the required period. Subscribers commit to saving a fixed predetermined amount on every working day of the year. Carnet cost: XAF 200; Annual commission: FCFA 4,000.
• Dépôt à terme (Term Deposit) A term investment that may or may not be renewed at maturity in exchange for interest payments, with guaranteed capital and interest net of taxes.
• Bon de caisse (Cash Bond) A secure savings instrument returned to the saver on a specified date with interest. Interest can be transferred at subscription or at maturity. Interest rates can reach up to 6%.
• Compte d'épargne sur livret (Passbook Savings Account) A savings account with no deposit limit available at any time. Savers can make withdrawals and deposits without risk. Interest rates can reach up to 4%. Available to everyone including minor children, with a legal representative required to open the account.
• Compte d'épargne quotidienne (Daily Savings Account) Daily savings account suitable for saving for rainy days or applying for loans and overdrafts for specific projects. Strongly recommended for self-employed individuals, small traders, and associations. Offers security and complete access to savings at any time without penalties.
• Comptes courant et chèque (Current and Checking Accounts) Current accounts for individuals or businesses for daily operations, and checking accounts that allow salary/allowance collection, fund deposits, purchases payment, bill payments, and secure money storage.
• Compte d'épargne pour associations (Association Savings Account) A highly flexible, secure, practical, and affordable savings account recommended for associations and Njangi groups. Simplifies accounting and collection of contributions. Members can request loans guaranteed by funds in the account.
• Domiciliation pensionnés (Pensioner Domiciliation) A flexible account for retirees whose pensions are paid monthly by CNPS (Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance Sociale). Offers long-term loan possibilities, salary advances up to 50% of monthly salary, and school loans repayable over 10 months at competitive rates.
• Domiciliation des salaires (Salary Domiciliation) Salary accounts offering flexibility for employees in various sectors (parapublic, public, and private) to manage finances and execute specific individual projects. Recommended for permanent employees of large companies and multinational institutions, as well as civil servants. Account holders can benefit from loans and salary advances.
• Wafacash International Money Transfer International money transfer service platform available at Le Grenier S.A. branches, providing access to international transfer products including Moneygram, RIA, and MoneyTrans for clients sending or receiving international transfers.
• MTN Mobile Money Mobile money service partnership enabling MTN Mobile Money subscribers to perform deposit, withdrawal, and money transfer operations at Le Grenier S.A. branches.
• Orange Money National money transfer service in partnership with Orange Cameroun. An electronic wallet enabling deposit, withdrawal, and money transfer operations for Orange Money subscribers.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MTN CamerooncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMTN and LE GRENIER S.A. are partners in the distribution of MTN Mobile Money services. MTN Mobile Money subscribers can perform deposit and withdrawal operations at LE GRENIER S.A. branch locations, extending the reach of mobile money services to microfinance customers.
• Orange CamerouncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLE GRENIER S.A. in partnership with Orange Cameroun distributes Orange Money services to its clients. Orange Money is an electronic wallet enabling deposit, withdrawal, and money transfer operations for Orange subscribers.
• WafacashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWafacash is an international money transfer platform that aggregates multiple transfer products including Moneygram, RIA, and MoneyTrans. LE GRENIER S.A. distributes these international transfer services to its clients for receiving and sending international remittances.
• BICEC (Banque Internationale du Cameroun pour l'Epargne et le Crédit)minorOthersBICEC logo appears in the partners section of the website, indicating some form of banking relationship or partnership.
• CNPS Cameroun (Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance Sociale)minorOthersCNPS logo appears in the partners section. CNPS is the national social security fund, and LE GRENIER S.A. offers pension domiciliation services for CNPS pensioners.
• EcobankminorOthersEcobank logo appears in the partners section indicating some form of banking relationship.
• Afriland First BankminorOthersAfriland First Bank logo appears in the partners section. The headquarters in Nkongsamba is located opposite an Afriland First Bank branch.
• SCB Cameroun (Société Générale de Banques au Cameroun)minorOthersSCB Cameroun logo appears in the partners section indicating some form of banking relationship.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Afriland First Bank: Afriland First Bank is a major Cameroonian commercial bank with a nationwide branch network and SME lending focus. Listed as a Le Grenier partner (and physical neighbor of its Nkongsamba HQ), the bank is a broad incumbent spanning retail, corporate, and SME banking segments that overlap with Le Grenier's microfinance activities.
• BICEC (Banque Internationale du Cameroun pour l'Épargne et le Crédit): BICEC is a major Cameroonian commercial bank offering retail, SME, and corporate banking. Listed as a Le Grenier partner, BICEC is a broad incumbent that competes for the same individual and SME deposit and credit customers but at a larger scale and broader product scope.
• Orabank: Orabank is a pan-African banking group with operations across the CEMAC region including Cameroon. Comparable to Le Grenier as a regional banking player, though Orabank operates as a full-service commercial bank with broader product scope and a larger branch network.
• Ecobank Cameroon: Ecobank Cameroon is a subsidiary of the pan-African Ecobank Group, offering commercial and retail banking across major cities. Listed as a Le Grenier partner, it competes broadly for SME and retail deposits and loans, and serves as a relevant incumbent comparable for benchmarking branch productivity and product breadth.
• SCB Cameroun (Société Générale de Banques au Cameroun): SCB Cameroun is a Société Générale-affiliated commercial bank in Cameroon offering retail, corporate, and SME banking. Listed as a Le Grenier partner, it is a broad incumbent competitor with a similar geographic footprint and overlapping customer base among salaried employees and SMEs.

Direct peers

• ACEP Cameroun: ACEP Cameroun is a microfinance institution in Cameroon focused on financial inclusion for micro-entrepreneurs and small businesses. Comparable to Le Grenier in serving underserved SMEs and offering savings and credit products under COBAC regulation.
• Express Exchange: Express Exchange is a Cameroonian microfinance institution offering savings, credit, and money transfer services to individuals and small businesses. Comparable to Le Grenier in product scope, target customer segments, and multi-channel distribution including mobile money partnerships.
• Advans Cameroun: Advans Cameroun is a microfinance bank operating in Cameroon serving SMEs and individuals with deposits, loans, and money transfer services. It is comparable to Le Grenier as a regulated microfinance institution with similar target customers and product mix in the same regulatory framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GrenierSa
• Facebookfacebook.com/legreniersa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-grenier-sa-microfinance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Le Grenier