Although often overlooked by outside investors, small miners play a central role in Ghana’s gold industry. Counting groups and individuals, both regulated and unlicensed, they account for nearly 35% of total production, according to 2013 figures from the Minerals Commission. As the Ghana Chamber of Mines (GCM) points out, this is 10 percentage points higher than Gold Fields Group, the largest mining…
While there is plenty of fertile land available for agriculture in Ghana – an estimated 6.1m ha of its 13.6m ha of agricultural land is not cultivated at present – land acquisition remains a challenging process. As stipulated in Ghana’s constitution, a variety of customary tenure systems run by chiefs govern land use in the country. Around 80% of all land falls under these frameworks, designating…
The palm oil industry is coming full circle in West Africa. The commodity was first produced in the region as early as the 16th century and commercial trade began in 1820. In the mid-19th century traders transported planting materials from Ghana to Asia, where the climate proved highly conducive for growth. The industry boomed in this new location, leaving Africa behind. Now, West Africa is considered…
As the world’s second-largest producer of cocoa – behind only its neighbour Côte d’Ivoire – Ghana’s agricultural output and overall economy are dependent on production of the crop, which represents 57% of the sector’s export earnings and over 20% of total export earnings, and employs more than 800,000 farmers. Adding Value Cocoa exports are sent mainly to Europe, but growing demand in…
In February 2013 Ghana issued three new broadband wireless access licences to three local companies: Surf Line, Gold Key Properties and G-Kwik. Costing $6m each and initially valid for 10 years, after which time they will be subject to a renewal fee, the licences were allocated for long-term evolution (LTE) spectrum in the 2500-MHz to 2690-MHz band. They also come with the stipulation that the licensees…
The success of start-ups in driving the US technology sector has spawned a raft of attempts elsewhere in the world to emulate that growth. Ghana is working to foster an environment that helps encourage entrepreneurial activity in the tech sector, with some success. While connectivity constraints and research access are often cited as a significant barrier for tech start-ups in Africa, Ghana’s possession…
Facing saturation and elusive growth prospects in more established markets, multinational fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies are turning their attention to sub-Saharan Africa, a growing region that, with some exceptions, has been undersupplied when it comes to branded, mass-produced consumer products. A 2012 report by the global consultancy McKinsey Africa Consumer Insights Center forecasts…
With a history that stretches back to the days of independence when Valco Aluminium – at the time Africa’s largest smelter – Ghana’s metals industry has faced significant challenges recently, although it has benefitted from growth the rest of the country is enjoying. Reliant in past years on domestic demand from the extractive sectors, the bulk of the momentum has more recently come from the…
Competitive among local and international players, Ghana’s logistics sector has grown in parallel with the economy and is on course to continue this trend, given rising demand and the government’s efforts to promote foreign investment. However, bureaucracy and human resource shortages remain as key challenges. Global Index The World Bank’s 2014 Logistics Performance Index (LPI) ranked Ghana…
Air travel is growing rapidly in Ghana, as the country’s population takes to the sky and more tourists and businesspeople visit the country. Plans are under way to develop Ghana’s major airports to keep pace with growing demand, while the government is also seeking a private investor to help re-establish a national airline. GACL Ghana’s commercial airports are operated by Ghana Airports Company…
