Category: 20MOBPL2D

Ernest Ofori Sarpong is a serial entrepreneur and the Chief Executive Officer of Special Investments Group, the parent company of Special Ice Mineral Water Company Ltd. From humble beginnings, like most great individuals who have imparted the world with their relentless spirits and unhinged ambitions in making their presence felt, he became quite a voyager at a tender age. Born some 55 years ago into a Presbyterian family, Mr. Sarpong has fond memories of his early days as a boy. His mother, instinctively nurtured his sparsely evident traits of business inclinations which many have benefited from and grown to love.

Having had to adjust to the frequent travelling of his father due to the nature of his work at his early age, he swiftly gained an interest in his mother’s trading capabilities plied at Okaishie which cast an impressive shadow on his life. By starting from the basics, Dr. Ofori- Sarpong soon ventured into the importation of garments. The revered business mogul, thus, gathered enough confidence from his first trading with his mother, and filled with ample courage, permanently weaned himself off their collaboration by setting up Sarpong Ventures Limited– an import and trading business. This encompassed various activities bordering on so many commodities.

But, as fate would have it, the incidental chancing of an Uncle’s passion and love for real estates, led him to the subsequent business and commencement of the Special Investments Ltd.– a real estate and construction business with a significant number of estate houses and apartments in very strategic areas in the city of Accra. With this, the company has dotted Achimota, Airport, Roman Ridge, Cantonments and East Legon with aesthetically pleasing houses, apartments and office complexes.

One profound attribute of serial entrepreneurs is their voraciously scavenging tendencies in always looking out for the next clue that leads to the treasure box of business success. With his boundless optimism, beliefs and in close collaboration with his brother and co-partner, Dr. Osei Kwame Despite, the duo founded the United 2 Company Ltd. which is a holding company for the U2 Salt Limited, a 600-acre salt mining refinery company at Winneba in the Central Region and United Television, popularly known as UTV– which is currently one of the leading TV stations in the country.

In 2011, Dr Sarpong fulfilled a long held dream of becoming an industrialist by solely founding and setting up the mineral water company, SPECIAL ICE LTD.

Furthermore, he and his business partner came together again to establish a highly recognized financial institution christened Best Point Savings and Loans Company Limited– for which he was the Board Chairman until recently. Offshoots from this company have led to the establishment of Best Assurance Company and Best Pensions, both in the Insurance and Pensions industries respectively.

Dr. Ofori Sarpong in spite of being an illustrious businessman and philanthropist, has had to brave through several challenges as business hasn’t been a straightforward path, particularly in Ghana. That notwithstanding, he countenanced those trying moments while also seeking some professional advice on how well he could weather the storms in the company.

Possessing quite an insatiable desire for knowledge, Dr. Sarpong in 2019 received the Annual Directors Certification Training Program at the Purple Almond Consulting Service. Also in 2016, MRB Consult awarded him with the Corporate Governance and High-Performance Board Training Certificate. He likewise featured prominently as the Guest Speaker at the 8th Graduation Ceremony of Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center. He was also conferred with an Honorary Fellow from the Chartered Institute of Credit Management and also is an Honorary Member at Ghana Institute of Journalism.

However, the achievements of Dr. Ofori Sarpong cannot be capped and it is even more evident in the innumerable counts of plaudits, plaques, awards and recognition doled out in honor of his contribution to society and humanity at large. Convincingly, he has contributed to the reduction of unemployment in the country by employing over two thousand persons in his companies and providing them with a stable source of income.

Very philanthropically inclined, Dr. Sarpong has supported many hospitals, institutions, churches and individuals both in education and medically.

Gratifyingly, Dr. Ofori Sarpong, as proofs of his impact in society and world of business has garnered some striking awards under his achievement belt by receiving the Peristrofi World Honorary International Award Conference as an “Honorary Ambassador of Business Entrepreneur” in West Africa.

Among a host of other awards, he has been awarded the “Best Manufacturing Entrepreneur” for 2013 by Entrepreneurs Foundation under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industries. Similarly, he bagged the “2020 Outstanding Business Executive” at the 10th Ghana Entrepreneur & Corporate Executive Awards. Dr. Sarpong is also embellished with the “Highest Distinction of Global Dignity Awards” for Service to Humanity at the United Nations with the Proclamation by the Senate of New York. Equally, he has been conferred with the “Business Growth and Achievement Award” by the Ghana SME & Young CEO’s Summit. He also received the “Best Ashanti Region Business Icon” of the Year 2017, and the “Ghana Captains Award” by UAE-Africa Mentoring Consortium.

Quite a health fanatic, Dr. Sarpong is the President of East Legon Executive Fitness Club and also the Patron of the Accra Friendship Club. The President of the Republic has also appointed him as a member of the COVID-19 National Board of Trustees. He is also currently the global President of the Presec Old Boys Association.

Albeit, these achievements and plaudits may well retire some individuals indefinitely or perhaps lead them to slow down in peddling the boat on the sea of untapped opportunities. However, for the likes of Dr. Ernest Ofori-Sarpong, who are consumed with steeled interest, zeal and passion, this is just the beginning of his journey to cause a stir in the business landscape.

Dr. Ofori-Sarpong better prides himself in his faith as a staunch Christian and a presbyter. Significantly, he reckons business success and his Christian faith as one which is not mutually exclusive. As a result, he attributes his business success to God and reckons Him as the epicenter of all his business success. Success in business to him, is predicate on not just hard work, although it forms an integral part of the success story, but reverent acknowledgement of God is the key to his success.

Eric Seddy Kutortse is the Executive Chairman of First Sky Group, a cluster of several companies which include First Sky Construction, Volta Serene Hotel, First Sky Commodities, First Sky Bitumen, Serene Insurance Limited and Frerol Rural Bank.

Born on March 5th, 1972, at Awate Todzi, a village in the Volta Region, Eric had his basic education and advanced to Kpando Secondary School where he excelled with distinction in the Ordinary Level Examination. He later obtained his Advanced Level Certificate in the same institution. Having excelled in his Senior Secondary exam, he progressed to the University of Ghana where he studied Philosophy and Political Science. Mr. Kutortse maintains that his university education led to his acquisition of general knowledge in everything which opened up his mind to the possibilities inherent in the world. According to him, all he had to do on his part was to put the puzzle of ideas he had together to serve as a building block for the foundation of his businesses.

Upon completion of his university education, he set out on his entrepreneurial journey by engaging in printing businesses and later ventured into construction when the opportunity availed itself. In 2002, Mr. Kutortse officially established First Sky Limited as the first of his numerous businesses in a small office space. Progressively, the company now conducts its trade in General Civil Construction and has over the years acquired knowledge, equipment and workforce to plan and execute works ranging from small, private developments to large, Government and international projects, with specialization in Roads, Bridges and Dam Construction.

For what began as a desire to improve upon operational and project delivery standards, the fervent businessman identified a gap in the civil and management construction industry in Ghana. With this, he started out with a workforce of five personnel but currently boasts of staff strength of over 200 permanent managerial, administrative and technical staff as well as 1,500 casual staff and owns a fleet of significant construction equipment. Since then, the company has since grown significantly over the last decade and is managed by a highly multi-skilled professional team, aiding timely project delivery and within budget.

Recognizing hospitality as one of the bedrocks of Ghana’s bustling tourism industry, Mr. Kutortse closed in on the opportunities in the sector by establishing the Volta Serene Hotel. The hotel is the only four-star facility located in the heart of the regional capital, Ho, in the Volta Region. Being the businessman he is, Mr. Kutortse offered solutions to the lack of ‘reputable’ hotels in the region and considered a four-star hotel will be apt for the community. He noticed that a lot of people who visited Ho at the time for programs did not get the type of facility they wanted and so had to juggle between Akosombo and Ho for their programs. Thus, this necessitated his decision to set up a hotel to address the challenge at the time.

In November 2013, Mr. Kutortse yet again identified a problem within the agricultural sector, necessitating the establishment and incorporation of First Sky Commodities company. The vision of the company is to become a leader in the cocoa industry and with a mission to use cocoa purchases as a business to improve the well-being of farmers in traditional and marginal cocoa producing areas. The idea occurred to him whiles undertaking a project in the Volta Region where he saw throngs of people carrying bags of cocoa on their head to cross the border into Togo to sell. Puzzled, he questioned them as to where they were going with the cocoa, citing the illegality of the trade. With their reason being lack of ready market, Mr. Kutortse hastened to COCOBOD and interacted with the CEO. Coincidentally, that year, Ghana was unable to achieve its target of 900,000 tons that they had promised the international market. Coming back, he then conducted a feasibility study and read extensively about the market, applied for the license, received it and registered the company as First Sky Commodities. For the very first year, the company bought more than 1200 tons and was close to 5000 tons within 3 years in the industry.

Witnessing the success of the business, the relentless social entrepreneur penetrated the insurance sector by setting up Serene Insurance Ltd. Mr. Kutortse’s reason was predicated on the low insurance penetration of about two percent in the country then. Coming in with a ‘new face of insurance’, Serene Insurance Company Ltd., it received commencement certificate on 4th April 2018 and started full operations in September 2018.

Over the years Mr. Kutortse has received litany of awards and laurels as he was awarded the “Group Chairman of the Year” at the 7th Ghana Entrepreneur and Corporate Executive Awards in 2017. Similarly, he also received the “Group CEO of the Year” at the Ghana Entrepreneur and Corporate Executive Awards in 2016. The “Breaking Barriers Africa Project” was awarded to him as well as the “Overall Best Young Entrepreneur” in 2015 for his visionary corporate leadership, hard work and dedication. The West African Regional Magazine (T.W.A.R.M), at its third international awards edition, honoured First Sky Construction and Mr. Kutortse, with the T.W.A.R.M Business & Leadership Awards being the “Outstanding Construction Company of the Year” in 2016.

Mr. Kutortse’s passion thrives on his charitable deeds to the needy and less privileged persons in society. His supports for social and religious courses have benefited and continue to benefit many individuals and organisations. In recent years, First Sky Group built a 50-seater well equipped Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centre for the Awate Schools in the North Dayi District of the Volta Region. Many students continue to be offered full scholarships at various levels of education. Similarly, he has offered many students full scholarships at various levels of education.

The Group also donated GHS 30,000 to the Volta Regional Coordinating Council to renovate the Ho Jubilee Park in 2016. At the Ho Jubilee Park in January, 2016, the Group presented 60 church buildings, with a seating capacity of 450 to 650 worshippers, to the Assemblies of God Church Ghana; 30 each to the Eastern and Volta regions. The Group also has built several houses for retired Ministers of God of the church.

Among other initiatives are the payment of all hospital debts of patients at the Renal Dialysis Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in 2016 which amounted GH¢620,000 and a donation of GH¢2million as an endowment fund for the treatment of all patients on dialysis at the Unit. By this, Mr. Kutortse understands and appreciates the need to support the communities in which it operates, the people and the country as a whole.

Kwabena Adjare Dankwah is the Executive Chairman and CEO of Metalex Company Limited, the pioneering subsidiary of Metalex Group, a manufacturing giant and a leading provider of metal roofing sheets, metal and clay roofing tiles, plastic T&G and several other products with dominant presence in Ghana and West Africa. He is also the owner of Obuoba Group, a cluster of companies which include a hotel, a roofing company, alcohol distillery, a radio and television stations.

Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Mr. Adjare assents to the affluent lifestyle and privileges he enjoyed as a young boy, his father being illiterate, notwithstanding. As a lad, he had his own set of wheels, gifted him by his father, which was intermittently changed when it malfunctioned or got faulty during his secondary school days. Unlike the wayward characteristic feature of most snooty children born in rich homes, young Kwabena upheld high moral standards growing up– a virtue which largely influenced his life in business.

After having his initial hopes dashed to become a medical doctor as a result of not meeting the required grades, Mr. Dankwah exchanged the scalpel for business by nestling the latent desire to be great. His father, not being a believer in having his children work with him, but rather chart their own path and independently decide their fate, pecked him out of the nest to find his own wind and fly after working with him for a while.

The exodus to Accra in the ‘80s by the determined Kwabena to start his own business was funded by his father with a loan facility of US$5,000. Upon his arrival, young Kwabena rented a shop which served the dual purposes of a home and an office. He then entered into the sale of steel trunks used mostly by boarding house students. Providentially, he made more than 200% of the capital from the sale of the steel trunks as first year students had resumed school and the product was in high demand.

Following the impressive sale, he went back to Asakan Metal Works, where he made the initial purchases, for more of the products. However, because he wasn’t a registered retailer, he was turned down by the manufacturers. Capitalising on the virtue of determination innately presiding in bona fide businessmen, he rerouted his handling of the matter by liaising with the Production Manager who apparently, had a small workshop at home. After some negotiations, Mr. Dankwah decided to invest into the productions with subsequent deposits by other interested parties. By getting more retailers to commit deposits for the production of the steel trunks, he invested the entire sum into raw materials to produce more of the steel trunks.

Eventually, being prodded by an advice given by his father to not continuously rent but build when the opportunity availed itself, Mr. Dankwah purchase a land at a strategic location in New Achimota where he expanded the business. He further purchased some parcels of lands at Spintex to gain more coverage for his businesses.

Starting out with the initial name as AllDanquah, it transitioned to Metalex Company Limited, which was established in 1986 in a rather turbulent political period rife with sporadic coups. That notwithstanding, the passionate industrialist commenced production with one machine that produced 50tonnes of the regular length corrugated roofing sheet in its initial days.

Currently, the company produces 650tonnes of different types of roofing sheets, tiles and other products from 12 machines. Having started small, Mr. Adjare Danquah has now turned the company into the largest producers of all forms of roofing sheets and accompanying products in Ghana and the sub region as well as the continent as a whole.

For all intents and purposes, with no prior knowledge and education in the manufacturing field, the fiery businessman had to rely on enhancing his knowledge in technical activities to run the company. Mr Dankwah predicated his abilities on his proficiency in Mathematics and Physics during his school days coupled with practical experience he gained from working in numerous manufacturing firms with hands-on understudy in how the machines and equipment operated. One of the companies he relays which helped him understand the market was Development Consortium, which was also involved in the manufacturing of roofing sheets. He credits the knowledge he amassed to them although he had to leave.

He later joined Ghana Aluminium products as a stockist afterwards. There, the conducive and hospitable environment made him a fast learner in the roofing sheet business.

In 2004, Metalex entered the South African market and consequently took over a brick manufacturing company from the Bank of Ghana and introduced the manufacturing of roofing tiles and plastic T&G. Today, Clay and Metal Company is the largest manufacturer of bricks in the country.

Also, in 2018, Mr. Dankwah introduced Metalex Institute of Technology and Tourism to equip and certify skilled labour such as carpenters, steel benders, masons, tillers, etc. with various intensive short courses. Currently, the institute has introduced a one-to-five-day intensive courses for such people including block layers, electricians, steel benders, plumbers and others.

The growth of the business has made Mr. Dankwah win numerous awards such as “Aluworks Award for Innovation and Overall Best Customer Award” in 2000.

As a way of giving back to society, Mr. Dankwah catered to the needs of the TUDU MTTU Police Station by reroofing the unit and the Mpreaso Presby School to protect them from the vagaries of the weather. In similar vein, he roofed the Atibie Methodist Church. Also, the 37 Military Hospital and the Korlebu Teaching Hospital were also provided with some installators. While he remained passionate about giving back to society, he equally provided a pavilion for the Atibie government hospital and Free health insurance for the people of Mpreaso. Education remains paramount to Mr. Dankwah as such he has funded the education of some students through schools particularly universities to the tune of GHc 500,000. This is to help bridge the educational gap of the needy to enable them acquire skills to work and earn a decent living.

Kwabena Adjei is the founder and Executive Chairman of Kasapreko Company Ltd. He first established the company in his garage in 1989 at Nungua and it has progressively morphed into a multinational company with its state-of-the-art automated factory. Kasapreko Company Limited is inarguably one of the principal and successful alcoholic and non- alcoholic beverage producers in Ghana.

Living the stark and revelatory meaning of a ‘self-made’ man, he was born over sixty years ago and was raised by a single parent. Despite some palpable challenges he had to go through early in life, with his highest education level being elementary Form 4 at the time, he inadvertently built grits necessary to overcome. Being quite an avid learner, passionate Kwabena Adjei defiantly progressed to pursue some courses at the GCE O’ Levels, after which he progressed to the Institute of Adult Education, a pursuit he juggled along with engaging in a one-on-one study at Workers’ College in Accra and work– his first job being at the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO).

Evidently not satisfied, Dr Kwabena Adjei commenced his business, although he still felt bereft of requisite skills and capabilities to shrewdly manage and run the company. Decidedly, he upgraded his education status by taking on three different courses in a year, with another course being a three-year course at Harvard Business School on Owner, President, Management (OPM) programme.

Growing up, although he was on tenterhooks on what his aspirations were, he intuitively knew he wasn’t an ordinary boy. That didn’t end as a thought as he practically took steps to nurture the continuing budding ‘tree’ and its ‘fruits’ we are witnessing today. Dr Kwabena Adjei during the initial stage of his business acknowledged that it was pure experimentation for him by merchandizing a wide range of products in the country including alcoholic beverages.

The rules of engagement in owning a business and riding it out for decades is to enjoy it as much as you invest time and effort into it. Not as one noted for being easily worn out, Dr Adjei traded for the first five years in business as a hobby with basic equipment until he received a life changing news for the fledgling company after its first sale of 25 cartons of beverage– a momentous day it was for him as a start-up. This news, has galvanized and morphed the company to producing millions of cartons currently.

The journey for Dr Kwabena Adjei took the bold step of courage before the stairway of elevation illuminated the climb. Like all other business folks then, he jumped on the bandwagon of alcohol craze by cashing in on it. As growing an empire wasn’t initially part of his plan, even though he evidentially saw the potential in the beverage industry, he abandoned all other things and focused on its prospects.

Dr Kwabena Adjei and Kasapreko’s first love child, Alomo Bitters, has currently become a household beverage particularly in Ghana. The feeling of being stuck in a rut and being defined by the general rule of thumb smoked Dr Adjei out of his burrows of ordinariness into a whole new league of innovation. Fundamentally, he had to change the packaging of his products which was deemed unhygienic and also step out of the monochromatic mill of producing same flavoured beverage like all else. Originality led him to Germany where he had his customized bottles made and transited to London to acquire some additional flavourings.

Having experienced a lot of turbulence in the business, some of which were accessing funds and market penetration, today the company has weathered the storm. As the company didn’t start out with phenomenal capital base, loan acquisition became a conundrum as close to three banks turned him down. Not being one to easily cave in, he attended a course organized by EMPRETEC, a United Nations programme established by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development where he encountered Hon. Alan Kyerematen, who advised him to refrain from securing loans from foreign banks but rather indigenous banks. Another hurdle was how to manoeuvre his ways around market penetration. With this, he walked the streets of Accra with samples of his product to retail shops but were rejected. This, empowered him to strategize on how to penetrate the market.

Coming from a background that is premised on key foundations such as Quality Materials, Quality Manpower and Quality Machinery, the company buys its machines from Germany and it’s credited to being one of the fastest alcoholic beverage manufacturing lines in Africa doing about 40,000 bottles per hour. Currently, the Kasapreko company has added more products to its product line spanning alcoholic beverages to soft drinks to mineral water. Innovation and continuous investment in technology keeps the brand ahead of its competitors.

Subsequently, Dr Kwabena Adjei has established the Royal Crown Packaging Company Ltd. and Capemay Properties Ghana.

Successfully, Dr Kwabena Adjei is recognized as the first and sole Ghanaian business tycoon to have been inducted into the ‘Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs Hall of fame’, a recognition in all candour he describes as a truly humbling experience. Likewise, he won the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 2017 at Ghana Manufacturing Awards, with Kasapreko picking up the Brand of the Year. Also, Dr Kwabena Adjei, was adjudged the overall ‘Best industrialist’ at the 2019 Made-in-Ghana Awards.

Perseverance, focus and flair for success are even more telling in his impact on society. Employing over two thousand workers, Dr Kwabena Adjei has donated an ultra-modern polyclinic built at a cost of GH¢2 million to the Municipal Health Directorate in the Wassa Amenfi Central municipality and a fire station worth GH¢400,000 to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

Dr. Kwabena Adjei’s current status isn’t about money but empowering the youth. This, he believes, will show them that what they intend to do can be done.

Kate Quartey-Papafio is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Reroy Cables Limited, a subsidiary of Reroy Group and one of the leading manufacturers of electrical cables in Africa which is predominantly catering for the international market with a significant domestic presence. Born to be the difference in her generation, she identified what she wanted to be quite early in life. While some nine-year-old girls, her age, are busy preening and prancing about, she set out on her entrepreneurial journey by selling kerosene– a craft she would eventually transform into an enduring passion to build a fixedly robust company buffering the needs in the energy sector.

Dreams do start off as hazy ideas, which gain clarity and focus with each step taken and for Dr. Quartey-Papafio, the gift in identifying her purpose and propensity to survive in business, especially as an indigenous company like Reroy Cables, is one which requires exploration consistent with an indefinite learning sequence.

Carving up her brainchild about 25 years ago by importing and distributing cables, it gained a renewed and intertwined direction as she incorporated the manufacture of these cables. Gathering momentum and expanding the company’s scope to interact directly with the supply chain by sourcing raw materials locally, her thoughts surpassed just the local market by increasing the business portfolio in terms of how they can export to sub regional markets in Africa and across global platforms.

Initially, she started off with domestic products and later incorporated industrial cables as well as fire resistance cables which are her company’s original creations and designs with future prospect in delving into the production of marine cables. Brimming with versatility, Dr. Quartey-Papafio also plans to additionally include underground and marine cables.

Reroy Cables, being a homegrown business, endears her to believe business folks need to have sustainability strategies and put in place achievable and detailed transitional procedures that will help their businesses grow for years after its successful establishment. Gender specificity isn’t a judgement on her experience and achievement and in a matter-of-fact manner, she barely considers it an excuse for non-performance. Proudly chronicling her feat in a male saturated environment, Dr. Quartey-Papafio has distinguished herself as the only manufacturer of steel wire ropes in the sub region due to her company’s state of the art equipment, a feat which gives her a competitive edge over others in her execution of deliverables.

Her laurels include being awarded by the Ghana Entrepreneurs Foundation and inducted into the entrepreneur hall of fame for her outstanding and innovative performance and her role as the first female cable manufacturer in the ECOWAS sub region. Dr. Kate Quartey-Papafio, in 2017 also emerged winner of the ‘Energy Personality of the Year Award’ (female category). Similarly, she was adjudged ‘CIMG Marketing Woman of the Year’ 2013/2014 and also, was on the Global Africa Investment Summit held in December 2015 in the UK.

Describing herself as a courageous Ghanaian Industrialist, firm, proactive and resourceful leader who sees risks and challenges as opportunities for growth and development, she has gone through the mill in having to jump the hurdles encountered in her business life. Challenges in getting raw material in for productions and payments poignantly punctuated her sentence. According to her, it is a journey which requires one to have a thick and tough skin as going into production is not easy especially being a woman. In spite of the stereotyped notion usually harboured by men who question her acumen when in search for financial support, she resolutely encouraged women to embrace such challenges and input their quota with regard to development of the economy. Contrarily, the stereotype has made her more responsive to innovation and changing trends in the industry she operates and the fact that she finds herself in an area considered the preserve of men has made her much stronger and very persistent.

Not one to dolefully cower under pressure, Dr. Quartey-Papafio has gathered all the stones from these challenges, built a strong character worthy of mentoring and imparting young lives with her dossier of experiences and knowledge in life and business. Having trained about thousands of young women to be vociferous in demands and asserting themselves, she has equally trained students on how they can dutifully harness their talents to benefit society in the long run.

The Aged, widows and single mothers in the society are not left out of the philanthropic gestures of the affable businesswoman as they have a haven in the ‘Boamah Foundation’ which caters to their needs. Her versatility transcends hospitality to an actual vocation through her overtures of help in the fight against COVID-19 with a whopping GHS100,000 coupled with keloid support and also donations to governmental and private hospitals.

Impacting the entrepreneurship ecosystem is a lifelong occupation for the ever industrious and vivacious Dr. Quartey-Papafio, as her plans for post COVID-19 will see her company with fully automated machines and also witness an expansion in her cable manufacturing company to other parts of the region and beyond.

With God being her number one mentor since birth, high profiled family members fighting in her corner, unwavering self-belief and the right mindset, Dr. Quartey-Papafio is on an upward ascendancy to change the ossified status quo in the manufacturing industry with her fluid yet pragmatic sense of judgement and excellent execution.

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.

Samuel Amo Tobbin is the Executive Chairman of Tobinco Group of Companies which has ample reach in areas of Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics, Banking, Health, Education, Construction, Events Centre, Insurance and Media. The serial entrepreneur’s thriving companies include Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited, Entrance Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre, Entrance University Hospital, Entrance University College of Health Sciences, Toblues properties, D’or Events and Beauty Complex, Atinka Media Village, ABii National Savings and Loans Ltd. and Priority Insurance Ltd.

Born into a family of eight children in Accra Newton where he had his elementary education, young Samuel furthered his education at Royal Academy of Accountancy in Newtown. However, he subsequently had to drop out of school in form two due to financial constraints. He started hawking to make ends meet at this stage and soon realized his entrepreneurial proclivities. Consequently, he traded in pharmaceutical products by supplying to chemical and pharmacy shops in villages, necessitating him to travel outside the country and upon his return, he established his own chemical shop. He later employed two persons and moved into plying a pharmacy retail shop.

Unearthing his purpose at such a young age, Mr. Tobbin fully launched into pharmaceutical trade and opened a chemical shop at Darkuman, a suburb of Accra in Ghana. In 1997, through diligence and commitment, he later opened his second retail pharmaceutical shop at Kotobabi. Craving for an expansion of his company and being privy to the importation of pharmaceuticals from India, the astute entrepreneur made his way to the Asian country to establish direct contact with a company there. With three shops then, he started direct importation of products from there. Coupled with cautious planning, these shops were later transformed to pharmacies to serve local communities and in January 2003, Mr. Tobbin fittingly registered Tobinco Pharmaceutical Limited.

Currently, Entrance Pharmaceuticals and research Centre has a staff strength of about 2,000 individuals and it’s one of the biggest pharmaceutical plants in West Africa at the moment. Being flaunted as one of the pharmaceutical companies with the biggest plant in the sub region is no mean feat, but the attendant pomp and pageantry only spiralled Mr. Tobbin into action by supplying his products to all the sub regional countries in West Africa except Nigeria. Central African countries like Cameroun and Chad were also blessed with the invasion of his products. The factory is self- sufficient in creating employment for the youth and not to spend so much money on importation of drugs especially on malaria.

These good intentions have made the local manufacturing of Lufart (malaria drug) very affordable and the number one killer of malaria for Ghanaians and for that matter West African at large.

Attributing his success primarily to the focal presence of God in his life, the ever-inspired businessman identified some key areas in the business environment he could take his sparkle of business-sense to and shine.

Atinka Media Village, one of the most innovative and forward-thinking media companies in the country was birthed as a result, with its headquarters in Accra. Atinka FM in Accra, Agyenkwa FM in Kumasi and Takoradi’s Ahotor FM are some of the operations by the media village with Atinkaonline being their web presence and Atinka TV representing the group’s national digital television broadcast station.

In 2011, ABii National was christened as a Savings and Loans Company, licensed under the Non- Bank Financial Institutions Law to provide financial services to the public. Close to ABii National’s trail was the establishment of Priority Insurance, also in 2011. Mr. Tobbin made quite an appearance on the medical and educational front with the establishment of Entrance hospital and Entrance University College– which prides itself in programmes such as Doctor of Pharmacy courses. Similarly, Tobinco’s Executive Chairman also has an International Trade Division company which supplies pharmaceutical products on behalf of its parent company, Tobinco pharmaceuticals, to the West Africa sub-regions.

Challenges we encounter in life forges greater tensile strengths in people who remain unforgiving to failures and being a businessman comes with its own tests and disappointments. In 2013, Mr. Tobbin woke up to a tussle with the Food and Drugs Authority over the peddling of counterfeit drugs by his company. The Authority seized hundreds of drugs from Tobinco Pharmaceuticals and that led to the placing of a ban on the importation of some identified drugs. Not one to easily cower under such attack, Mr. Tobbin hit back to discount those allegations from the regulatory body, plunging the company further into a law suit. This deteriorated into financial losses incurred by the company. As this nightmare unfolded, the sun broke through the dark clouds in 2014, as the case gradually fizzled out and Tobinco methodically made efforts to regain customer confidence, even as the business started taking shape.

In his words, focus on where to go and where he desires to get to in life has been his bedrock in surmounting those challenges. Belting some other challenges he faced in the two decades span as an entrepreneur, he recounts experiencing some short-landed goods from his imports and on worse days’ vessels containing his products sinking on high seas. This, coupled with loans from banks with high interest rates and payment of salaries to staff unfaithful in their work ethics tested the mettle of the unrelenting businessman.

Despite the odds stacked against him, Mr. Tobbin prides himself in being duly rewarded for his diligence with the numerous awards and recognition he has received over the years as a businessman. He emerged the ‘Marketing Man of the Year 2010’ as he equally bagged the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ by the Entrepreneurs Foundation in 2015. The Chamber Business Awards awarded him with the ‘Business Man of the Year’ in 2018. Mr. Tobbin also won the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2018 at the Ghana Manufacturing Awards. Correspondingly, he was awarded the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019’ at the Ghana Pharma Awards and ‘C.E.O of the Year’ at the Ghana Manufacturing Awards in 2020.

Philanthropy also characterizes the ethos of Mr. Tobbin with the establishment of the Samuel Amo Tobbin Foundation (SAT) in February 2015. This marked the beginning of formalizing operations of the foundation. The Foundation specifically supports the aged, widows, the sick, poor, needy and vulnerable. Prior to this, Mr. Tobbin directly and singlehandedly supported the poor and the vulnerable in diverse ways. He sought to address the throng of pleas and requests from needy folks queuing at the Church of Pentecost where he fellowships. Being a self-funded Foundation, Mr. Tobbin has generously contributed millions of cedis in support of the needy since its inception. He currently has a current number of over 400 widows and aged on monthly stipends.

Mr Tobbin has also built a three-storey facility for the PIPS division of the Ghana Police service which will be inaugurated in July, 2021. Also, he has put up nurses’ quarters in his hometown– Tarkwa Awudua.

Since its inception, the Samuel Amo Tobbin Foundation has been supporting individuals and groups in diverse ways under health, education, social safety, economic and livelihood empowerment. He has over the years paid for the medical bills of hundreds of people with complicated ailments in the Country and flown others outside the Country to seek medical care. Similarly, Mr. Tobbin has also established an informal scholarship scheme through which he sponsors the education of brilliant but needy children at all levels of their educational pursuit. In 2019, he donated relief items worth GH¢100,000.00 to refugees. During the lockdown period, Nana Amo Tobbin together with his members donated 2000 food items to the needy and vulnerable in the communities.

Emmanuel Botchwey is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Regimanuel Gray Group. Before his rise to this position, he served as Executive Director of the company from its inception from 1991 to 1997. Having served in both portfolios, Mr. Botchwey has for the most part of the company’s business pioneered the vision and leadership from its humble beginnings to its current and esteemed international status. He has evolved to become an astute entrepreneur who has carved a niche for himself in the Real Estate sector within Ghana and beyond.

Under his leadership, Regimanuel Limited which was the pioneering company, that later metamorphosed to Regimanuel Gray Ltd. (RGL), has progressed over the years to become one of the largest private real estate companies in Ghana with subsidiaries including Bessblock, RG Estate Management Company and DesJoyaux Ghana Limited. RGL also has the Regimanuel Concrete Products and the RSS Development Ltd. serves as an affiliate to the Regimanuel Gray Ltd.

Also, across the borders, RGL has established the Regimanuel Gray Sierra Leone and Sierrablock Limited as subsidiaries in Sierra Leone. Beyond the above, Mr. Botchwey has significant presence in other industries.

Growing up, young Emmanuel was quite a ‘tinkerer’ and was always trying to figure out the workings of equipment and machines by dismantling them, albeit most often, he could never put them together or fix them. When questioned about his career path as a young boy, his response most often was to be an engineer and till date his love for engineering has not waned.

At a tender age, Emmanuel had to constantly change homes by living with some of his maternal aunties and uncles on rotational basis. At a point, he had to move in with some of his school teachers as a result of his father being a Sanitary Inspector whom he never knew until he was thirty-three years of age. After completing his elementary education, young Emmanuel was quickly whisked away by an aunt from his uncle on the basis that she would not allow the young lad go “waste” by scouting for a job at such a young age. Prior to his aunt’s arrival, Emmanuel had written the common entrance exams and had meritoriously received half scholarship. As a result of this performance, his aunt benevolently supported him with the remainder to allow him further his education at St. Paul’s Technical, a catholic school in Kokrantumi.

Upon his arrival at the institution, young Emmanuel was made to write another entrance exams and there he performed astoundingly to the amazement of all the teachers and that granted him entrance into the school. Notifying the school authorities of his intent to study engineering, he briskly chose Building Engineering out of the categories under the Engineering courses. Sadly, the Building Engineering class was maxed out. However, not spoilt for choice, he settled for Mechanical Engineering and Emmanuel who could not get over his distaste for petrol and grease, thankfully had the class full and so had to finally settle for Electrical Engineering.

After completion, the promising entrepreneur proceeded to Accra Polytechnic to further his education after which he progressed to upgrade his knowledge by pursuing other courses, trainings and civil engineering programs.

In 1991, Mr. Botchwey established and incorporated his initial Real Estate Company, Regimanuel Ltd., and even after some three decades and receiving a decent turnover, Mr. Botchwey not satisfied with the output, is still pushing further.
Decorated as one of Ghana’s top-100 companies, Regimanuel Gray Ltd. (RGL) also has established its footprints in some other African countries. Beyond Africa, Mr. Botchwey has outfits in the UK and the USA which are mostly intended to complement the company’s sales outlet due to their customer base in Europe and the USA.

In early 2006, during an African housing sector conference hosted by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) in Cape Town, South Africa, Mr. Botchwey followed a presentation of Wall-Ties & Forms’ (WTF) aluminum formwork-based rapid construction technology and was encouraged by what he saw. Realizing an opportunity, he reckoned it as a great formwork technology to introduce in Ghana but was not ready to implement it at the time as the company had just invested heavily in block-making plants both in Ghana and in Sierra Leone. Deliberating on the benefit of having a WTF formwork system as it doesn’t require the high level of specialized skills and amounts of mechanized and manual labor deployed on conventional jobsites, the endearing businessman made the move.

In October 2011, Mr. Botchwey and his team travelled to the Kansas City headquarters of Wall-Ties & Forms Inc. to discuss the acquisition of WTF aluminum formwork for use in the Klagon Housing Development Project, originally christened as Meridian Gardens. The equipment was shipped to Accra, and after the initial onsite training, construction commenced in July 2012. It is little wonder that Regimanuel Gray Limited (RGL), Ghana’s premier home builder, is using the world’s best concrete forming system.

While Real estate development remains his core passion and the core business of RGL, Mr. Botchwey has acquired a massive land bank on the outskirts of the capital city, Accra, to develop a satellite town, Katamanso, which sits on a 1,200 acre-land and promises over 15,000 homes as well as commercial ventures.

Driven by his passion to develop the Katamanso area, this led him to bid for the contract to construct its first 10.5km dual carriageway through the Amanfrom, Katamanso and Zeenu township in the Greater Accra Region and saw to its execution.

Mr. Botchwey readily succumbs to the reality that challenges are a natural occurrence in the world of business and has suffered his fair share of not too sweet a pie. The risk of acquiring land in the country is one problem developers cannot sweep under the carpet as land serves as the framework for their businesses to thrive and see the light of day. For him, acquiring a litigation free land in the country is a pipe dream as against purchasing ones directly from the government. Coupled with this, the issue of getting loan facility to develop the land is also another hurdle for his business due to the huge interest rates. The fluid and ever-changing state of the rates make it almost impossible for Mr. Botchwey to fix prices on buildings. Other incidences of pilferages and buyers complaining of the pricy nature of houses compounds the challenging business scene.

Complementing and making up for his struggles, Mr. Botchwey has been decorated severally for his entrepreneurial spirit. In 2009 he received the “Property Personality of the Year Award”. Regimanuel Gray Ltd. also received “Residential Developer and Recognition Awards”. Equally, he received the 1998 Ghana Home Finance Company Gold Award for “Best Estate Developer”. He has also been awarded at the “Ghana Millennium Excellence Award”, and the “13th International Construction Award of Trade Leaders Club” in Paris.

Above all, in 2011, Mr. Botchwey was honored with the highest award of the land, ‘Office of the Order of the Volta’.

In spite of Africa lagging behind in the provision of decent shelter, Mr. Botchwey concerts to the fact that there is some catching up to do in terms of using modern building methods in the country. As such, he is very forward looking and designs with the next 50–100years in mind even to the benefit of surrounding neighborhoods and towns.

Thomas Svanikier is the founder and Executive Chairman of Svani Group Ghana Limited, which comprises SVANI Ltd., SVANI MOTORS, SVANI ENERGY and SVANI CONSULTING. He is also the co-founder of Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited and Chairman of its Advisory Board.

The automotive mogul has also established himself in the energy industry with his company, Atholl Energy Ltd., which built the over 120 megawatts power generation plant (worth over $100 million) in Tema in collaboration with Siemens and VRA.

He is also the Chairman and founding seed-investor of DreamOval, a leading African Fintech company with an enhanced Payment Services Provider (PSP) Licence from the Bank of Ghana. DreamOval developed an engineering software ‘Slydepay’, (a payment platform in Ghana, Zimbabwe, South Africa etc.) with Stanbic Bank.

Born at Osu some sixty years ago, Thomas had his primary education in Osu at the renowned Osu-Home School, South Labadi Experimental School. As a tradition in his family, the Svanikier-Richter tradition, the young Thomas proceeded to the Osu Salem School– Osu Presbyterian Middle Boys’ Boarding School. He was raised in a tight-knit and prominent family. He was also privileged to be under the tutelage of the famous Headmaster, Mr. Barnor whiles at Osu Salem School. This shaped and guided him in life, while engraining in him service to people, community, country and the Presbyterian God’s fearing discipline.

After his secondary education at the Osu Presbyterian Secondary School, Mr. Svanikier moved to the United States to further his education. While at college, young Thomas encountered financial difficulties and had to drop out of school to work. He worked in Maryland, Delaware and finally relocated to Los Angeles, California where he was fortunate to work with Mitsubishi Corporation, the foundation of his venture into the auto industry.

Mr. Svanikier began his business career 31 years ago by registering SVANI Ltd. while working for Mitsubishi Corporation. He gained experience in the sale and leasing of vehicles and heavy equipment. SVANI Ltd. was incorporated in Ghana in March 22, 1990 and commenced business immediately afterwards. According to Thomas, his mother initiated this journey after her constant visits to the USA when he dropped out of the college. Her advice to him, ‘Life is not just about education; life is about excellence and achieving a dream’, made him realize the need to establish his own company.

Thomas applied his previous experience in operations, sale and leasing of vehicles and heavy equipment in his new business. Later, he visited Russia and partnered with some Russian auto companies that led to the importation of Russian LADA cars into Ghana.

Thomas’s success is incomplete without the mention of the support of Continental Acceptances Ltd., (now CAL Bank Ltd.) and then headed by Mr. Afari Donkor. Mr. Afari Donkor granted him a loan facility of $710,000 to acquire UTC Motors, a subsidiary of the largest Swiss trading company, UTC Corporation in Ghana. After acquiring UTC Motors, Mr. Svanikier engaged in intensive restructuring and transformational projects at the various branches of the UTC Motors in Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Koforidua and Tamale. He later expanded his business by opening branches in other African countries, namely, Nigeria and Liberia.

Mr Svanikier credits his success to hard work, strategy, focus and God’s grace. He also bases his achievements on the robust foundation he had as a boy at Osu Salem School. However, the posturing of his mother who constantly egged him on to success equally reverberates through his business story. His school training, his mother, the love from his extended family, his Danish and Jewish backgrounds as well as training from his headmaster, Mr Barnor, form the basis for his success.

The feats of Mr. Svanikier’s journey in the last twenty years or more has led to the reputable University of Oxford appointing him to serve on its International Advisory Board with six other associates from across the globe. Since 2015, Mr. Svanikier has served as the ‘Senior Policy Adviser for Africa’ for the Transnational Strategy Group, a Washington D.C.-based company. He has also participated in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit organised in Nairobi, Kenya by the U.S. Department of Commerce when the US President met with leading captains of businesses in Africa across various industries.

With his wealth of knowledge and experience, Mr. Svanikier similarly serves on several boards including the Opportunities Industrialization Centre (OIC), Africa Poverty Eradication Commission, Korle-bu Trust Fund, and on the fund-raising committee of the Ghana National Cathedral.

Considering his enormous philanthropic contributions across the globe, Mr. Svanikier’s company, Svani Group, collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its fight against the Ebola epidemic by donating pickups and generators in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry.

In addition to this, he has also donated over forty-five vehicles (buses, cars and pickups) to the tune of over $2.5 million to various institutions and organizations in the last seven years.

As a business mogul who never forgot his roots, the industrious Svanikier has dug boreholes for Osu Salem School, built classrooms, a library for Classes One to Three and some toilets with three boreholes for Osu Girls’ School in honor of his mother.

He has also donated a 65-seater Volvo Eicher bus worth $75,000, a generator set to the Valley View University, established a GHS 1 million scholarship fund with his wife to train Gas in health care. This has culminated in several ‘Svanikier Scholars’ in the university.

Recently, Mr. Svanikier donated a $22,000 Pickup to the Ghana Boys’ Brigade. Also, Thomas was one of the ten business people who raised the seed money to set up the Ghana COVID-19 Private Sector Fund. This fund initiated the construction of the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre, the first in West Africa. In addition, he also donated an administrative vehicle and an ambulance for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Outside the continent, Mr. Svanikier and his wife have instituted the Thomas-Johanna Public Policy Initiative to train Ghanaians in the public and private sector at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. The couple also set up the ‘Hardship Fund’ to support African students studying at the University of Oxford who are experiencing financial difficulties due to the pandemic.

Mr. Svanikier has contributed immensely to Ghana’s economic development by employing over 6,500 employees across his business interests.

Mr. Svanikier is married to Ambassador Johanna Odonkor and the couple is blessed with three children.