Having won all eight qualifiers, the Dutch, who have already beaten Denmark and Japan here, became the first team since Brazil in 1982 to win all their qualifying and group games.
GEAR:Get your Dutch shirt
They went into Thursday's match already assured of progress and secured top spot with goals by Robin van Persie and Klaas Jan Huntelaar either side of a Samuel Eto'o penalty.
Nicely balanced throughout the team, Netherlands have qualified without ever needing to hit peak form and at present are flying the flag as Europe's most impressive nation.
"In the first half I was relaxed but the second was very mediocre, I thought Cameroon might score and we might even lose," said Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk.
"Cameroon got a penalty and then we woke up... this period of negligence is something we cannot afford and today was a lesson for the next match."
"Maybe I didn't succeed in unifying the team," said the Frenchman, who had to deal with player complaints about his selections after the crippling opening defeat to Japan.
However, the striker made sure in the 36th when a quick-fire one-two with Rafael van der Vaart put him through and he slotted the ball into the net through the keeper's legs.
The goal settled the Dutch and they began to fizz the ball around sharply on Green Point stadium's high-speed surface.
Cameroon kept pressing though as Eto'o, Landry Nguemo, Jean Makoun and Aurelien Chedjou all had second-half chances.
Their pressure was rewarded when Van der Vaart, jumping in the wall, handled a Geremi free kick in the area and Eto'o equalised with a 65th-minute penalty.
