Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG012539

The Benyi of Cameroon

The Benyi of Cameroon, numbering about 17,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic community of Cameroon.

They are an indigenous people in the Bantu, Northwest people cluster of the Sub-Saharan African Peoples. Their primary religion is Protestantism, and they primarily speak Mmaala.

Pray for the BenyiPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Benyi people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Benyi

Fast facts

Country
Cameroon
Population
17,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Northwest
Primary language
Mmaala (mmu)
Primary religion
Protestantism
Strategic Progress Index ?
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
2% or Greater but Less than 5%
GSEC ?
2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
Lostness priority ?
Minimally Reached People Group
Region
Middle Africa, Africa
Location
Centre region: Mbam-and-Inoubou division, Mmala canton, in and south of Bokito

Where they live

Gospel status

The Benyi are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Benyi

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Protestantism · Christianity

Primary language

Mmaala · Atlantic-Congo family

57% speak Mmaala

Gospel resources in Mmaala

  • Bible available, published 2007
  • JESUS Film not available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Benyi

  1. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  2. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
  3. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  4. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.

Download a prayer guide

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.