AI Has Changed Everything for Software Engineers in Cameroon

Hello all,

I would like us to discuss today how AI has changed the software engineering ecosystem, specifically in Africa and in Cameroon.

Building a good product or company in tech has never been an easy task. It generally starts with an idea: what problem am I trying to solve? Then you architect the solution, build the product, and finally ship it.

For a very long time, execution part of the most difficult phases of a project. Today, AI has flipped that completely. Let me explain.

The Three Phases of Shipping a Product

I think we have three important phases in shipping a product:

1. Building the idea — validating that the problem is real and the solution makes sense.
2. Shipping the product — actually building and delivering working software.
3. Marketing and communicating — finding users and convincing them to try your product.

For years, phase two was the bottleneck. It required skilled developers, who were expensive and rare. It took time — from 4 to 6 months just to get a beta version. And it came with trust issues: developers who disappeared after receiving an advance, bugs that never got fixed, features that were promised but never delivered.

Anyone in Cameroon who has worked with a carpenter, an electrician, or a developer knows this frustration. You pay upfront. Then you wait. Then you chase. Then you wait some more, then you…

How AI Transformed Execution

Today, execution has been completely transformed by AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and GitHub Copilot.

It is cheaper. A subscription to Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus costs about $20 per month (roughly 12,000 FCFA). I know this entry plan is not the best they have to offer, still, the Max costs 100$ per month (60 000 FCFA). The average salary for a junior developer in Cameroon is around 100,000 FCFA per month (I’m sure some pay better and other worse). For a senior developer, it costs even more 400K upwards. That means AI is between 10 and 100 times cheaper than hiring a human developer. Not to mention UI/UX designers and other roles involved.

It is faster. What used to take months can now be done in days or weeks. I have seen people ship working prototypes in a single weekend using AI tools. The speed factor is easily 10 times faster.

It has fewer hurdles. No more chasing developers for updates. No more waiting for bug fixes. No more paying advances and hoping the work gets done. The AI is always available, always responsive, and never asks for more money halfway through the project.

It is more intelligent. AI does not just write code. It can help you plan the architecture, review edge cases you had not considered, and solve technical problems that would normally require hiring additional engineers. It can explain complex concepts, suggest better approaches, and catch mistakes before they become bugs.

I am not trying to argue about code quality or technical decisions here. One could even argue that AI-generated code is better than what most developers produce — especially developers who learned on the job without formal training.

The New Reality: Non-Tech People Build Apps

We have to admit something uncomfortable: today, non-tech people build apps.

A small business owner with an idea can now describe what they want to ChatGPT or Claude, get working code, and deploy it within a week. If the app gains traction and needs scaling, AI will help them navigate the mess. They will have a working solution. Is it the best solution? Probably not. But does that really matter in the beginning?

For many problems, a working but imperfect solution is infinitely better than no solution at all.

What This Means for Your Product

One thing is certain: we will see more apps released every single day. Copycats of your product. Improved versions based on user reviews you refused to read. New ideas that build on your concept but execute better.

Your product or project is no longer safe just because you had an idea first. Execution is no longer the barrier it once was.

You now need one of two things:

1. Be great at distribution and marketing — and have the budget to reach users before anyone else does.

2. Be the first to execute — get to market quickly, then rely on marketing to stay ahead.

Ideas alone are worthless. Speed and reach are everything now.

The Challenges AI Brings

Of course, this new world comes with serious problems.

Security of user data. How can we be sure that people building these apps take security seriously? Many new builders have no training in encryption, authentication, or data protection. They ship apps that store passwords in plain text, send sensitive information over unsecured connections, and leave backdoors open. Users trust these apps with their personal information, often without knowing the risks.

Scams and phishing attacks. The same AI that helps honest entrepreneurs also helps scammers. I have seen fake websites that perfectly replicate government portals — including the police national identity card enrollment site. Unsuspecting citizens enter their personal information, pay fees, and never receive the promised service. In 2025, there were multiple reports of Cameroonian citizens being defrauded by fake versions of the IDCAM website, where scammers collected card enrollment fees and disappeared. AI makes these scams cheaper and more convincing to produce.

Intellectual property theft. With AI, someone can take your app’s description, generate a copy, and launch it before you finish your first version. There is little protection for original ideas in this environment.

Job displacement. What happens to the junior developer who spent years learning to code? If a business owner can get AI to build their app for 12,000 FCFA per month, why would they hire a human for 200,000 FCFA? The entry-level developer market is already feeling the pressure.

Quality and maintenance debt. AI can build something fast, but maintaining it over time is another story. Many AI-generated codebases become unmanageable as they grow. The person who built the app may not understand how to fix it when something breaks.

Why Platforms Like Builderswave Matter Now More Than Ever

This is why platforms like Valery Melou’s Builderswave are much needed today. Or platforms like MyTravelr for travel agencies with reliable contacts. These hub-like platforms provide structure, quality control, and trust — by holding links contact of the site/project the hosts. Will the verification and validation scale with 1,000-10,000 products? I hope it will, and I hope to see more solutions in this direction.

In a world where anyone can build anything, platforms that curate quality and protect users will become essential.

Marketing: The Phase AI Has Not Yet Solved

The next phase — marketing — has always been the most difficult part of building apps in Cameroon. It not only requires budget, but good planning and execution. I have witnessed and experienced so many failures that I would argue this is still the hardest phase, maybe everywhere in general.

AI can help with marketing. It can design campaigns, write social media posts, create flyers, suggest pricing strategies. But these are just tools. They do not solve the fundamental challenge of getting Cameroonian users to discover, trust, and adopt a new app.

As a friend of mine once said: “Cameroonians are interested in your app if it generates them money, or if it’s a source of distration”. I’m not 100% ok with it, but there’s a level of truth in his words.

In Africa, and in Cameroon, marketing means:

• Building trust in a country where scams are common
• Reaching users who may not have consistent internet access
• Convincing people to try something new when they already have habits
• Competing with the big players — MTN, Orange, and international apps — who have massive marketing budgets

AI has not yet made its biggest mark here. And until it does, having a great product is only half the battle.

Final Thought

AI has democratized software development. Anyone with an idea and 12,000 FCFA can now build and ship an app in days. This is exciting. It means more solutions for Cameroonian problems, built by Cameroonians.

But it also brings real dangers: security risks, jobs insecurities, scams, job displacement, and a flood of low-quality copycats. The key is not to fight AI — that is impossible. The key is to adapt.

Developers are at risks, lay-offs are real, while AI turns non-devs into startup-speed demons shipping faster than us. Entrepreneurs must prioritize marketing and trust-building, because a good product is no longer enough. And platforms like Builderswave and MyTravelr must grow to provide the curation and quality control that the open market lacks.

The barrier to entry has fallen. Now the real work begins.

Have you built an app using AI? Have you been scammed by a fake website or contact? I would like to hear your experience.