5 PIONEERS OF BLOGGING IN ENGLISH-SPEAKING CAMEROON

The advent of the internet witnessed the emergence of the World’s first blog, Links (dot) net in 1994. The word ‘Weblog’ was coined by by Jorn Barger in 1997.

Many successful blogs got their beginnings in the early 2000s, like the Huffington Post.
Blogspot and WordPress were created in 1999 and 2003 respectively, which gave the opportunity for the expansion of the blogosphere.

This wave swept across Africa, with Bella Naija founded in 2006 by Uche Eze. The blog focused on entertainment and lifestyle. It became an inspiration for other blogs that sprouted after.

Most of the first English-speaking blogs were inspired by Bella Naija and Linda Ikeji. The blogs were contextualized and relatable.

By 2008, French-speaking Cameroon blogs like Kamer Hip-hop, Culture Ebene, Je Wanda Magazine.

5 pioneer English-speaking Cameroonian bloggers;

CYNTHIA TABE ( DULCE CAMER)

Cynthia Can is based in London, UK. Inspired by patriotism and unswervingly passionate about promoting talents, she started blogging in 2008.
She created Dulce Camer on blogspot , which was a platform to uncover Cameroonian creatives. Annually, she released the Top 50 list of creatives.
She later focused on Mode Maison, a PR agency.

STEVE NJANG (NexDim Empire )

NexDim Empire is the first homegrown English-speaking Cameroonian blog.
It was founded by Mambe Churchill and Steve Njang in 2008 and went fully operational, with its own domain name in April 2009.
Considering English-speaking creatives did not have an online platform to promote their products, NexDim was created to fill the gap.

The platform has been existing for 15 years, with the overarching goal to enhance the growth of Cameroonian culture and identity.

YEFON MAINSAH ( I REP CAMER)

Yefon Mainsah created I Rep CAMER in 2009 as a lifestyle and Entertainment blog.

Her articles explored the growing fashion, travel and tech industries in Cameroon and Africa as a whole.

ERNEST KANJO Tiptopstars 

Ernest Kanjo Nfor is an award-winning journalist based in the US. He created Tiptopstars in 2008, as a platform to promote Cameroonian creatives. Since then, the platform has been consistent alongside Apex 1 Radio, a media outlet to promote Cameroonians.

He was the editor of the popular youth magazine “Among Youths” for over four years. With the fast-paced growth of the internet, he positioned himself as one of the paragons of blogging in English-speaking Cameroon.

Mbole Ekaney: THE HOTJEM 

Mbole Ekaney is a US-based blogger; founder of the Hotjem and The Hotjem Magazine. The Hotjem is an award-winning Pan-African blog, which focuses on pop culture and other entertainment trends .
She created The HotJem in 2011. Since then, she has immeasurably contributed to the growth of the Cameroon entertainment industry.
She was recognized at the Cameroon Career Women Awards (CCWA) as the Most Influential Woman and Best Blogger.
The Hotjem has been consistent and relevant for 13 years.

Blogging has evolved with the advent of social media platforms. Attention has shifted from websites to Facebook and Instagram.

#nexdimempire