Ghana's emerging tech ecosystem on display at Tech in Ghana

Though Ghana is known more for its cocoa and gold productions – it is Africa's second-largest producer of both commodities – the country has continued to attract tech giants to its shores. And despite Ghana's economic downturn, startups remain hopeful that growth is still possible.?

Tech in Ghana is one event that aims to highlight the country's emerging tech ecosystem. Held twice a year, in Accra and London, this year's edition features speakers from well-known African companies, such as Moove and M-KOPA , as well as from government and international partners, including the UN International Trade Centre and the International Finance Corporation.

In an interview with LinkedIn News Africa , Tech in Ghana founder Akosua Annobil explained what prompted her to start the event, why Ghana should not be overlooked in Africa's tech ecosystem, and how people can get the most out of attending the two-day summit. Kingsley Abrokwah , founder of Ghanaian retail startup KudiGO, also shared how important it has been for him and his company to be part of Tech in Ghana and how attendees can leverage such events.

(The conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.)

What is the Tech in Ghana event about and why in Ghana?

Akosua Annobil: We launched back in 2017, in London actually, because at the time I saw that there were many tech conferences focused on Africa, but the main crux of the message that was coming through was that South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda even, were really the markets to be focused on. But for me, personally, being someone who was travelling really frequently to Ghana and seeing the growth in the ecosystem there, I was wondering why it wasn't coming through in these tech conferences that were being held outside of the continent.

After speaking to organisers and delegates, it was because they just weren't aware of what was going on, and they weren't sure how to tap into it and how to essentially spotlight and highlight Ghana's ecosystem. So that was what gave me the initial idea to birth it.

How has the event evolved since its inception?

Akosua Annobil: It started off initially as a very typical conference, like keynotes and panel discussions, and it was really about knowledge sharing. What happened soon after is that it became a very powerful network. I started seeing – whether it was people who were able to meet investors or those from the UK who wanted to come into Ghana – people finding local partners that they could work very seriously with and build projects with.

We realised that people really saw this platform as an opportunity to engage with their peers, and it became a credible enough platform to even speak on policy. It was a place where the grassroots startup community was able to engage with the government about the Startup Act and things like that. So these are the things that we started to help facilitate as time has gone on.

Why do you make a point to come to this event, Kingsley?

Kingsley Abrokwah: I'm a Ghanaian tech entrepreneur. I've been in the tech space for well over 12-13 years now, actively as an entrepreneur, and as a software developer. And for me, having been in the ecosystem for this long, I have seen what the ecosystem is like in terms of exposure, in terms of sustained growth across all verticals.

When Akosua first decided to do Tech in Ghana, I mean, yes, there were other tech operators in Ghana already, but none of them were selling the Ghanaian-African story the way it's supposed to be sold. And now five years down the line, every single year has seen great traction for us personally. Our business has grown. People know about us across the world, because Tech in Ghana takes time to gather information about your business and share it with the right network. So that is one single reason why I've always been a part of this event, and I'm actually really delighted to be a keynote speaker this year as well.

Earlier, Akosua, you mentioned the “Big Four” in the tech ecosystem in Africa: Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya. Is Ghana positioning itself, do you think, to be part of that club?

Akosua Annobil: I definitely think so. I don't think it's a direct or deliberate competition so to speak, but I think we've seen, for example, a growth in VC investment across the continent, but Ghana has not been getting that. I think that there's more to do to bridge the gap, just generally, between funding and emerging markets, and even emerging technologies if you like.

But in terms of tech talent, in terms of having a fairly tech-friendly government, in terms of having a very active startup community beyond Accra, that is – we’ve seen the growth in tech hubs in Kumasi, in Takoradi, in Tamale – I think, naturally, Ghana is definitely a contender in terms of being the market for tech in Africa.?

But I think when people see or speak about who the big boys are, it's usually related to, I would say, where's the money going? And where we are seeing unicorns or acquisitions and those kinds of things happening. And I think that's where maybe Ghana lags behind, but I have confidence we will start seeing that change pretty soon.

What are some of the trends or conversations in tech that you're seeing emerging right now in Ghana?

Akosua Annobil: I think it's a mixture really. I think that there's a big conversation around Ghana's tech talent. There's been an increase in interest in global companies who want to work with Ghana's software developers, et cetera. I think we're going to see more of that, whether it's others coming in to help hone those skills, or whether it's more global companies coming to work with us.

"Intra-Africa partnerships I think are something that will become increasingly or should definitely become increasingly more important."

I think we're also going to see a lot more collaboration as well, perhaps in areas like enterprise and those kinds of things. One of the things that we are really keen to do is connect Ghana to the rest of the world more, and whether that be inside Africa or beyond the continent. But intra-Africa partnerships I think are something that will become increasingly or should definitely become increasingly more important. When you look at things like the AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area), for example, these opportunities are a good reason for us to start thinking about not just countries in Europe or the US, but we definitely need to be looking closer to home and seeing how we can collaborate with our neighbours across Africa.

It looks like there's going to be, from what I'm seeing, a bit more interest in the web3 world. So around the metaverse and blockchain, I can see there's a lot of interest in accelerators and incubators that want to come into Ghana. I'm interested to see how that space develops as well. And then lastly, as I mentioned earlier about Ghana being behind on the investment front, I do think that we're going to see in one way or another, more money coming into the ecosystem.

Kingsley Abrokwah: I think the relevant conversations we are having now is how to ensure that the tech innovations happening on the continents have a direct impact on the continent in terms of economic progress, in terms of social progress and whatnot, because tech has always been a catalyst for growth. And Africa has seen this on various verticals. I mean, we took fintech, personalised it.

"Where the conversation is going is about how we can take all the skills we have, all the talent we have, all the innovations that we have, how can we take that and make that part of the core infrastructure of Africa's growth beyond technology?"

So, right now, where the conversation is going is about how we can take all the skills we have, all the talent we have, all the innovations that we have, how can we take that and make that part of the core infrastructure of Africa's growth beyond technology? How can we ensure that people who, if their only exposure to tech is a chat application on their mobile phone, can also figure out how they can use that chat app, that WhatsApp or whatever they have, to help them grow economically or grow socially in a way that has a positive impact on it.

So that is where I personally see the conversations happening in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, wherever you are. We want to take a step further beyond just saying, I have an app or I have a startup. What impact is that startup having on the economy across everything from climate change to whatnot? That is where we want to see the conversations right now.

What is your best advice, your top tips, let's say, for people to get the most out of the conference?

Akosua Annobil: It depends on what you're looking for, but I would say definitely sit through as many panel discussions or presentations as you can. The content of Tech in Ghana, or the feedback that we get the most is the quality of content. The things that you hear and learn during those presentations, during those panel discussions, especially if you're new to the industry, I think is going to be of massive value to you.

Ghanaians generally are known to be friendly, but I'd say networking and connecting with as many people as you can, because this is a very open and collaborative ecosystem. I've seen, time and again, collaborations happen, whether it's locally, globally, across sectors, across public, private entities – it's a very open community. So I would say speak to people. Don't be shy.

But also have a think about what it is that you want to bring in and the value that you have to bring into the ecosystem. So this is an opportunity for you also, whether it's to do a bit of R&D or find partners. The clearer you are on what you have to bring to the table so to speak, or what it is that you're trying to achieve, the more you will get out of the experience.

Kingsley Abrokwah: I think the key thing for me, the goal for people coming to these events, should be to first try to understand the ecosystem through and through. Don't come to the event with any preconceptions of what the ecosystem looks like. Normally, the first day is where you have a lot of the top leaders in the ecosystem coming to speak about what's happening in the ecosystem. Try to listen and understand that and use the following dates to now immerse yourself in all the things that were shared during the keynotes and whatnots, because once you do that, you realise that a lot of your preconceptions are actually wrong. And you get to know exactly how you can be impactful.

"Don't leave the event without making any meaningful connections."

By understanding what is happening in the ecosystem from its own perspective, you would derive more value from it and be able to get more value as well to give out to people at the event as well. And also, I mean, look, for me, it's an exhibition of talent in Ghana, innovation in Ghana, and business in Ghana. So don't leave the event without making any meaningful connections.

So just come with an open mind, to listen, learn, understand, and network at every single opportunity. And rest assured, you'll go from this event with a lot of good things that you never thought were possible for any tech event anywhere in Africa.

Tech in Ghana starts today at the Accra Digital Centre with an opening keynote from Harriet Thompson, the British High Commissioner for Ghana, and ends on 30 November. This year’s edition includes an e-sport tournament and VR experiences, as well as several keynotes and panels on fintech, web3, and the startup culture.

??? Solange Uwimana