CAMBODIA GUIDE

Global brands, established manufacturing facilities, and international export markets. How Cambodia became a major production hub — and how foreign investors can become part of this industry.

Cambodia: A Global Manufacturing Hub You Might Not Know About

The next time you buy a pair of sports shoes, a T-shirt, a backpack, or a pair of jeans from an international brand, take a closer look at the label.

You might find three familiar words: Made in Cambodia.

Over the past three decades, Cambodia has quietly established itself as an important manufacturing destination for garments, footwear, and travel goods — collectively known as the GFT industry.

How BROWN Coffee built a homegrown café brand while Sela Pepper took a Cambodian crop to international buyers.

What could a coffee shop in Phnom Penh possibly have in common with a pinch of black pepper in a European kitchen?

More than you might think.

Behind them are two Cambodian business stories with very different routes to growth. One found its customers close to home, turning a familiar drink into a place people wanted to spend time. The other looked beyond Cambodia’s borders and built an export business around a crop that local farmers had been growing for generations.

Different customers. Different challenges. One question at the heart of both businesses: what are people actually willing to pay more for?

You've found an apartment in a new condominium development in Cambodia.

The renderings look spectacular: a rooftop pool, floor-to-ceiling windows, contemporary interiors. The developer says the building will be ready in two years and offers an attractive launch price with instalment payments.

You sign the contract, pay your deposit and start making scheduled payments.

For the first year, work seems to be progressing. Construction updates arrive regularly, complete with photographs from the site.

Then things slow down.

The updates become less frequent. Sales representatives give vague answers when you ask about the completion date.

Finally, the day you're supposed to receive the keys arrives.

But there is no finished apartment.

A beautiful apartment in a new Phnom Penh condominium. Floor-to-ceiling windows, a rooftop pool, stylish interiors and an attractive price.

The property agent walks you through the presentation, talks about the neighbourhood's potential and tells you Cambodian real estate is a great investment.

You buy the apartment, expecting to sell it for more in a few years.

Then life changes. You decide it's time to sell.

You publish the listing. The photos look great. Your asking price seems reasonable.

But nobody buys.

Or potential buyers appear, only to offer considerably less than you originally paid.

Meanwhile, the developer is still selling apartments in the same building, sometimes with discounts or flexible payment plans. New condominium projects are also going up nearby.

And an uncomfortable question emerges:

Why was buying the apartment so easy, while selling it feels almost impossible?

An operating café, bar or restaurant in Phnom Penh may be available with equipment, furniture and established processes already in place. But does buying one mean acquiring a profitable business?

An existing Italian pizzeria is currently advertised for sale in Phnom Penh. The asking price is $25,000.

At first glance, the offer seems attractive. Instead of building a restaurant from scratch, a prospective buyer has the opportunity to acquire an existing business.

But consider the situation from an investor's perspective.

What exactly is included in that $25,000?

Kitchen equipment? Furniture? The restaurant's trading name? Its customer base? The right to continue renting the premises?

And where are the financial figures?

What is the actual monthly revenue? How much remains after paying rent, staff, food suppliers, utilities and taxes?

Does the business have outstanding debts? Can the lease be transferred to a new owner? Will permits need to be renewed or reissued?

From restaurants and catering to trade, tourism and digital services: five business sectors worth exploring for foreign entrepreneurs in 2026.

When people think about investing in Cambodia, real estate is often the first thing that comes to mind: buying a condominium, renting out an apartment or managing property.

But Cambodia offers opportunities beyond real estate.

Restaurants and coffee shops are opening, trading companies are developing, and entrepreneurs are exploring tourism, digital services and businesses focused on everyday needs.

One of Cambodia's most important advantages for foreign entrepreneurs is that companies can be 100% foreign-owned in many sectors, without requiring a Cambodian shareholder.

In neighbouring Thailand, foreign ownership and business operations face additional restrictions in certain industries. Some activities require special permission or compliance with limits on foreign participation.