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People group profile · PG012579

The Duala of Cameroon

The Duala of Cameroon, numbering about 296,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Bantu trading people of Cameroon's Wouri River estuary descended by tradition from an ancestor named Mbedi, who rose to dominate coastal trade with European ships by the 16th century and governed through the Ngondo council of elders.

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 Duala.

Pray for the DualaPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Duala people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Duala

Fast facts

Country
Cameroon
Population
296,000
Affinity group
Sub-Saharan African Peoples
People cluster
Bantu, Northwest
Primary language
Duala (dua)
Primary religion
Protestantism
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Pioneer Unreached People Group
Region
Middle Africa, Africa
Location
Littoral region: Nkam Division, toward Yabassi and along Wouri River; Moungo Division, Dibombari area; Wouri Division, Cameroon estuary area; South West Province, Fako Division, both sides of Mungo River

Where they live

Gospel status

The Duala are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

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

Next steps for the Duala

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Protestantism · Christianity

Primary language

Duala · Atlantic-Congo family

100% speak Duala

Gospel resources in Duala

  • Bible available, published 1970
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

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

Pray for the Duala

  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.

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