Spotlight: Meet Sinet Akih, One of Cameroon’s Leading Product Marketers Shaping the Nation’sTech Ecosystem

In Cameroon’s evolving digital landscape, one name shines brightly as a beacon of
innovation and community strength: Sinet Akih. A rising product marketing manager with
a remarkable track record in digital technology, Sinet has played a pivotal role in creating
some of the nation’s most impactful products while inspiring thousands of young people
through tech initiatives in a region facing crisis and limited opportunities. His journey shows
his determination and innovation. He is dedicated to changing Cameroon’s tech scene
from the inside.

A Product Marketing Manager Who Bridges Innovation with Impact

In an industry where many digital professionals focus solely on climbing corporate ladders,
Sinet Akih has distinguished himself by embracing a dual mission: to excel as a product
marketing manager in some of Africa’s most promising digital companies while
simultaneously nurturing the next generation of innovators in his home country. His journey
reflects a balance between career achievements and ecosystem building, a balance few
achieve with such measurable success.
Over the past few years, Sinet has earned a reputation for combining product-led thinking
with user-centric strategies. His leadership in managing and scaling technology products
has led to growth in adoption, engagement, and impact. These results are not confined to
the offices of digital startups but extend to classrooms, community events, and youth
focused platforms across Cameroon.

Early Contributions: The Nang Health App

One of Sinet’s earliest standout roles was serving as Product Lead at Youth2Youth
Cameroon, where he played a pivotal role in launching the Nang Health App. This digital
solution was designed to improve access to sexual and reproductive health information
for young people in Cameroon, a critical intervention in a country where youth often
struggle to find accurate, stigma-free health resources.
Under his guidance, Nang was not just another health app; it was a product tailored to
local realities. Sinet worked on everything from user experience design to growth
strategies, ensuring the app reached hundreds of youths. To promote adoption, he actively
participated in tech community events in Bamenda, including Women Techmakers (WTM)
gatherings, where he demonstrated how the app worked and why such tools could close
the health information gap for young people. His direct engagement made the product
more than software; it became a conversation starter about health, technology, and youth
empowerment.

Scaling Pan-African Fintech at BitSika

Following his success with Nang, Sinet went ahead to join BitSika, a leading fintech
platform in Africa recognized for its cross-border payment and cryptocurrency services as
a Product Marketer. With millions of dollars in transaction volume and over 90,000 users,
BitSika solidifies its position in the digital finance landscape of West and Central Africa.
Seeking to enhance its service in Cameroon, Sinet reshaped the way BitSika worked for
its users. He led intensive research to understand how Francophone and Anglophone
Africans interacted with the platform, identifying bottlenecks and overlooked
opportunities. Working closely with engineers and designers, he rolled out localized
features, including bilingual onboarding, cross-border transaction tools, and enhanced
compliance prompts, to meet Central African regulatory standards. These changes made
the app faster, clearer, and more trustworthy for first-time fintech adopters, reshaping the
user experience through extensive research that identified user needs and pain points. He
introduced localized features such as bilingual onboarding and tailored compliance tools,
making the app more accessible for first-time users.
Sinet also spearheaded BitSika’s market expansion in Cameroon, developing a strategy
that included influencer partnerships, community events, and targeted educational
campaigns. This approach attracted over 10,000 new users within a few months,
significantly boosting the platform’s visibility and user engagement. The results were
striking. Monthly active users climbed steadily, transaction volumes grew, and retention
improved as customers came to trust BitSika not just as a tool but as a financial companion.
“He helped BitSika do more than acquire users,” one colleague remarked. “He turned them
into loyal customers.” His holistic blend of product management and market strategy not
only increased monthly active users and retention rates but also positioned BitSika as a
formidable competitor in the fintech sector. Sinet’s achievements showcase his role in
shaping Africa’s digital finance landscape.

Setting Sights on Jappcare: A Homegrown Startup

Today, Sinet is channeling his experience into his own venture: Jappcare Autotech, a
vehicle maintenance startup designed to improve road safety and vehicle health in
Cameroon. Through Jappcare, users can access maintenance schedules, real-time vehicle
health monitoring, and even an e-commerce section for spare parts.
The platform aims to address a pervasive issue: poorly maintained vehicles that contribute
to road accidents throughout Cameroon. With his strong background in product marketing
and management, Sinet ensures that Jappcare is not just another startup, but a scalable
solution that addresses a real societal challenge.
His vision is clear: to combine innovation with local relevance, creating a product that not
only thrives in Cameroon but could potentially expand into other African markets where
similar problems exist.

Building Ecosystems Through the Bamenda Community Challenge (BCC)

If his career achievements in product management define one side of his story, his community-building efforts complete the picture. In 2022, Sinet founded the Bamenda Community Challenge (BCC), a platform designed to empower young people with tech and entrepreneurship skills in one of Cameroon’s most crisis-affected regions.
Against the backdrop of conflict in the Northwest Region, where insecurity and school closures have stifled opportunities for youth, BCC has emerged as a beacon of possibility. The inaugural 2022 event drew 35 participants, 10 project submissions, and over 300 attendees in person, with an additional 200 joining the event online. Winners received $ 1,000 in cash prizes and mentorship. The 2023 edition attracted over 30 project submissions, 35 participants, and more than 400 attendees who came together to build solutions addressing community problems, with the involvement of over 10 dignitaries. Participants received training in areas such as product management and digital marketing, and won cash prizes to help grow their business. Throughout both editions, Sinet provided mentorship, led workshops, and helped teams develop scalable digital solutions.

Contributing to National Impact Through CITS

Sinet Akih’s impact extends far beyond Bamenda. He is also a lead organizer and mentor
at the Cameroon International Tech Summit (CITS), the largest technology event in
Cameroon, designed to unite innovators, investors, and thought leaders to accelerate the
country’s digital growth.

In the run-up to the grand event held on 30 November 2024 in Yaoundé, the CITS team
conducted an unprecedented national outreach tour of all 10 regions of Cameroon, hosting
trainings, community workshops, and innovation bootcamps that collectively impacted
more than 20,000 young people. These regional sessions introduced participants to
cutting-edge tools, entrepreneurship skills, and pathways into the tech ecosystem,
ensuring that the Summit represented voices from every corner of the country.
The effort culminated in over 10,000 people physically gathering in the capital city for the
main Summit, a historic convening of startups, developers, investors, policy makers, and
students. CITS was supported by major international organisations, including the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon, and GIZ,
underscoring its position as a trusted, high-impact platform for the country’s digital
transformation.

Through his leadership role, Sinet contributed to program design, speaker recruitment,
mentorship sessions, and partnerships, helping CITS achieve unprecedented reach and
relevance. His work at CITS reflects his commitment to national-scale digital transformation, creating pathways for youth from all ten regions to access technology opportunities, showcase their innovations, and connect with global partners.

Recognition for Using Social Media as a Teaching Tool

Beyond formal programs, Sinet has gained recognition for his innovative use of social media as an educational platform. While many people turn to digital platforms primarily for entertainment, he has effectively harnessed the power of TikTok and Instagram to teach young Cameroonians about technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. His content simplifies complex concepts, motivates action, and provides practical guidance to young people who may not have access to formal training. This acknowledgment solidifies his reputation not just as a skilled product manager but also as a digital educator who makes knowledge accessible to all. In 2023, he was honored with the Cameroon Youth Awards for Best Digital Tech Content Creator.

A Model of Leadership and Vision

What sets Sinet Akih apart is not only his career trajectory but his holistic approach to
impact. From building digital products like Nang, Check Me, and BitSika, to founding
Jappcare, to empowering thousands of youth through BCC and CITS, his contributions
span both industry and community.
He represents a new generation of Cameroonian leaders who see technology not merely
as a career path but as a tool for transformation. His journey shows that success in product
management can be measured not only in KPIs and transaction volumes but also in lives
changed and ecosystems built.

Looking Forward

As Sinet continues to build Jappcare while expanding the reach of BCC and supporting
national platforms like CITS, his impact will only grow. His vision for the future includes
scaling his initiatives to reach 10,000+ young Cameroonians within three years, while also
establishing Jappcare as a leader in Africa’s vehicle maintenance sector.
For Cameroon, and indeed for Africa, the story of Sinet Akih is both a promise and a
blueprint: a promise of what is possible when young leaders take charge of their future,
and a blueprint for how to blend professional excellence with social responsibility.