shenzhen, china, January 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On January 5, 2026, China International Maritime Container (CIMC) officially dispatched an office building project to the Bastos District, Yaoundé, Cameroon, which is the first modular construction project in the Central African region. The shipment containing the first batch of modules departed from CIMC Modular Building Systems’ main production base in Xinhui, Jiangmen.
Rendering the project
This innovative cargo will undergo a complex intermodal route, crossing the South China Sea, passing through the Straits of Malacca, and sailing through the Indian Ocean. It will then travel south along the east coast of the African continent, go around the Cape of Good Hope and head north to ports in Central Africa, where it will then be transported overland and arrive at the project site. The entire journey is expected to take approximately 60 days. This project represents an important step in the local integration and assembly of CIMC’s first modular office building overseas.
Irwin Wang, Deputy General Manager of CIMC MBS and Deputy General Manager of CIMC Architectural Design Institute and CIMC Construction, spoke at the shipping ceremony and said that this project is a successful combination of CIMC’s internal strengths. Demonstrating highly efficient resource coordination across research and development, manufacturing, logistics and construction, it is poised to establish new benchmarks in the international market.
Located in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, the project covers a total construction area of approximately 3,000 square meters and strictly complies with the permanent building codes of the region. The modern office space is comprised of 78 modular units manufactured to the highest standards in China.
Expected to open in late 2026, the project will deliver a construction schedule more than 50% faster than traditional construction methods. Once completed, it will provide a one-stop workspace with offices, meeting rooms and dining facilities, accommodating approximately 200 people.
This initiative comes as the Central African Economic Corridor enters a period of accelerated urban development. Cameroon’s rapid concentration of finance, technology, and trade industries has created a rapidly growing demand for modern office and living space, but traditional architecture is unable to meet this demand with speed, cost, and quality.
CIMC modular building systems adhere to the philosophy of “international quality, local care” and deeply integrate rapid modular construction and human-centered design. The facility is constructed according to the standards of international corporate headquarters, with full respect for local customs. Special facilities such as a prayer room and nursing room have been incorporated to provide comprehensive support to employees. This approach establishes a new paradigm for flexible, green and adaptable office spaces in Cameroon and the wider African region.
More than 90% of the construction process, including structural design, interior finishing, curtain walling, and smart system integration, was completed at CIMC’s flagship factory in Jiangmen, Guangdong, China. This high level of prefabrication ensures precise quality while significantly reducing construction waste, noise and dust on site, providing economic and environmental benefits. To ensure delivery quality, CIMC mobilized a full-chain internal collaboration mechanism and integrated resources from various design, manufacturing, and construction subsidiaries.
The project builds on CIMC’s proven track record in Africa, following the successful delivery of modular hotels in Djibouti in 2018 and 2021. In the face of Africa’s urban population increasing by more than 10 million people per year, CIMC is moving from the “exploration” stage to the “exploitation” stage on the continent.
Victor Zhu, Head of CIMC’s Modular Building Systems Division, emphasized that the Yaounde project is another step in CIMC’s “Back to Africa” and lays a solid foundation for expansion into Global South markets.
“This reflects not only the trust that local customers have in CIMC’s brand and technology, but also our core competitiveness in cost control and operational sophistication,” Zhu said. He added that the company remains committed to safety and quality and is using Cameroon as its new base to provide high quality, low carbon and reliable modular solutions to African and global partners.
CIMC Modular Building Systems will continue to deepen its internal collaboration and resource integration to build a “China Construction” benchmark and inject green and efficient momentum into global urban development.
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