Kwaku Oteng is a serial entrepreneur who has a number of companies under his belt. He is the Founder and President of the Angel Group of companies. Coupled with his uncanny ability in couching the perfect idea, his footfalls have left imprints in the areas of media, education, pharmaceuticals, beverages and transport haulage. With his backlog of demonstrable successes, products and services such as the Angel cream, Angel Educational Complex, Adonko Bitters and Angel Broadcasting Network, have engraved the name of the versatile entrepreneur as a successful businessman.
Born in Atoase where his parents met, young Kwaku grew up in a noble town of Atwima in the Nkawie District of the Ashanti Region. He was raised by his mother as his biological father never took responsibility for his birth. The decision of his father almost drove his mum to abort him, save the timely intervention of his maternal grandfather who was resolute in her keeping the baby on the premise of catering for her needs. Several years down the line, the singular act of his grandfather has become praiseworthy as his grandson makes impact in the land of his birth.
Growing up wasn’t quite a stroll in the pack for Kwaku as he had to walk miles before getting to school. Unfortunately, he never had the opportunity to further his formal education due to some financial constraints. However, not one to idle about, he progressed to train for one and a half years as a carpenter. Effortlessly mastering the craft, he expanded his business with three additional furniture making outlets in Mamponteng, Asawanse and Pankorono. As a result of his diligence, focus and determination, he conditioned his mind to the fact that nothing remains unattainable.
For Dr Oteng, the Angel Group’s story started from the Angel Herbal soap production around 1996/1997. As rave reviews began to trickle in due to the effectiveness of the product across the country, he expanded with the incorporation of angel cream, angel natural capsules and angel herbal mixture.
Possessing a knack for venturing out into new terrain, the curiously gifted entrepreneur ventured into education, a value he was bereft growing up, by establishing Angel Educational Complex. The establishment of the school came with its own challenges of land acquisition and financial constraints. That notwithstanding, after making an arrangement with the owner of the land, a Queen mother, he successfully paid the land off in tranches. The visionary plan of Dr Oteng was to construct a school with an accommodation capacity of 3000 students with a hostel capacity for about 2000 persons. Beyond the facility, Dr Oteng purchased about sixteen buses to convey these students from the various locations in the Kumasi township.
Unlike most entrepreneurs, the staunch businessman who is never one to settle on an idea, developed a new sparkle for media. With the novel passion for radio, he founded Angel Fm in Kumasi which routed a staggering appeal among the masses by competing with the top three radio stations in the Ashanti region barely three months after commencing operations. What worked for the business maverick was his strategic endorsement and placement of experienced individuals to manage the radio station.
Emboldened by sheer success of his introductory businesses, he went on a long drive in the transportation business with the establishment of Angel Transport Service. Having purchased an appreciable number of petrol tankers to convey petroleum products from one place to another for the government, Dr Oteng started encountering some challenges due to the political conditions at the time and such political interference largely affected the business.
Shortly after, Dr Oteng launched his presence in the beverage industry with Adonko Bitters, an eponymous product, from his beverage company. Five years into operations, the company has five products to its name, serving a broad range of consumers. Interestingly, the Adonko bitters, which is the flagship product, originated from his previous herbal product– the Angel Natural Capsules. Coupled with its distinct taste and flavour, other fledglings such as ‘Adonko Atadwe ginger’, birthed from a mixture of traditional ginger and tiger nuts also dominated the market. As a result of its unique taste, it has gained international appeal with Burkina Faso being a formidable client. The success chalked led to the formulation and development of Adonko 123 bitters which is a blend of herbs and ginger. Next in line was the ‘Adonko Next Level’, an energy drink, which is a collaboration between the Adonko Bitters Company Ltd. and a German group in Germany.
Dr Oteng concedes to the fact that his journey hasn’t been without challenges. He recounts an incident whereby he had a brushoff with the Food and Drugs Authority over an unfounded allegation by some miscreants who lied over consuming the Adonko bitters at an event organized by the company that resulted to incident of deaths. Due to the unruly behaviour of the individuals, the company was charged for the alleged offenses. The company’s license was seized and an investigation was initiated by the FDA. Nevertheless, investigations proved that no one had died at the event. This harrowing ordeal still remains fresh in the mind of Dr Oteng.
Awards are truly a humbling scene for Dr. Oteng as he has received numerous awards and honors for his contribution to the nation’s development. However, the ‘Key of the City’ award was an absolute shocker for him and was one which sent him on a research mission to validate its authenticity. Being the only African recipient of that award meant a ton to him. Also, he was lauded by the University of Oxford for his contribution to humanity. For all intents and purposes, the best is yet to happen to Dr. Oteng as he reckons he has achieved just about 5% of his intended goals.
With his planned venture into soft drinks and mineral water in sight, he has constructed a factory in Kumasi and has imported state-of-the-art equipment for production which is yet to commence hopefully in August.
Considering his future prospects, the astute businessman also prays for God to endue him with more years to impact lives and destinies. Dr Oteng’s ultimate desire is for every Ghanaian to benefit from him before he finally hangs his boots.
