By: John S. Morlu II, CPA
Welcome to Ghana
Where everyone is either a CEO, a Founder, a Co-Founder, a Partner, a Managing Director, or all three… of their one-person WhatsApp-based business.
It’s the only country where your Uber driver might be pitching you his fintech startup, your barber accepts payment through mobile money, and your cousin’s friend is launching an “AI-powered palm wine distribution network.”
Titles Are Free. Hustle Is Not.
Everyone has a title. Whether you have an office or just strong Wi-Fi and a Canva account, you’re now “Chief Something Officer.”
There are more “techpreneurs” than there are coders, and more “platforms” than actual products.
A guy once handed me a business card that read:
Kwame Owusu – Founder, Innovator, Disruptor, Thought Leader, Forex Strategist, TikTok Coach.
I asked what his startup does. He said, “We empower synergies.” Say no more.
Traffic and Tech: Ghana’s Real Startup Incubator
If you’ve ever spent two hours in Accra traffic, congratulations — you’ve completed a full online course via WhatsApp voice notes, sold a second-hand iPhone, and launched a podcast.
Traffic in Accra isn’t just congestion. It’s the coworking space of the streets. People are doing banking, dating, negotiating, preaching, and yes — launching startups — all from the front seat of a trotro.
🤳🏿 Fun Fact: Ghana has one of the highest mobile penetration rates in West Africa. Everyone’s online, even if it’s just to say “Please dash me 1GB.”
Meanwhile, Real Tech Is Booming… Slowly
Despite all the noise, Ghana’s tech scene is growing.
From health-tech apps that remind you to drink water to agri-tech platforms trying to link farmers and markets (keyword: trying), people are building.
Legit startups exist. And Ghanaian developers are being hired by companies in the U.S. and Europe.
The raw talent is there. The hustle is there.
What’s missing? Infrastructure, consistent power, and fewer “Chief Evangelists of Blockchain Disruption.”
📊 Insightful Tidbit: Many Ghanaians now use LinkedIn not just for job hunting, but to share deeply personal life updates, motivational quotes, and birthday thank-you speeches.
It’s part resume, part therapy, part church bulletin.
🥲 Final Thought: The Ghana startup scene is both inspiring and exhausting.
A land where titles are free, traffic is eternal, and potential is undeniable.
Just make sure your “CEO” friend isn’t using your laptop to mine crypto during your Zoom call.
In Ghana, the hustle is real — and so is the humor.
So the next time you’re in traffic behind a trotro with “No Food for Lazy Man” on the back, remember:
That same driver may own three plots of land… and be developing an app to track goats.
This is Ghana’s startup scene:
Part Silicon Valley. Part Makola Market. 100% vibes.
📖 Coming Up Next: Chapter 10 – “Church, Crusades, and the Business of Faith.”
Author: John S. Morlu II, CPA is the CEO and Chief Strategist of JS Morlu, leads a globally recognized public accounting and management consultancy firm. Under his visionary leadership, JS Morlu has become a pioneer in developing cutting-edge technologies across B2B, B2C, P2P, and B2G verticals. The firm’s groundbreaking innovations include AI-powered reconciliation software (ReckSoft.com) and advanced cloud accounting solutions (FinovatePro.com), setting new industry standards for efficiency, accuracy, and technological excellence.