We highlight five entrepreneurs building businesses in West Africa across sectors ranging from retail and footwear manufacturing to fitness.
1. Ghana: From side hustle to 16 stores – a retail entrepreneur’s story
In 2012, Charles Antwi-Boahen was scraping by as a commission-only salesman at an air-conditioning company in Accra, often struggling to cover his own transport costs. Noticing that customers kept asking for split air conditioners – a product his employer didn’t sell – he cut a referral deal with local appliance distributor Electroland. That side hustle became Kab-Fam, an electronics and home appliance retailer that today operates 16 stores across Ghana. Read the full story >>
2. The story of a Made-in-Nigeria footwear company
Yinka Atunde founded Nigerian footwear manufacturer Yikodeen in 2016, after travelling to Italy and China to learn the craft of shoemaking. Yikodeen began by making fashion shoes but has since carved out a niche in industrial safety boots and footwear for the security services. Read the full story >>
3. The man behind Nigeria’s answer to the UFC – meet ‘Dana Black’
Maxwell Kalu is the founder of African Warriors Fighting Championship (AWFC), a business he pitches as “Africa’s UFC” – but rooted in something uniquely Nigerian. AWFC organises and promotes Dambe, a centuries-old boxing style from northern Nigeria. Kalu wants to turn the traditional sport into a global business. Read the full story >>
4. Exporting cashew nuts from West Africa to Europe: CEO shares her story
Salma Seetaroo is the CEO and co-founder of Cashew Coast, a cashew nut processor and exporter based in Côte d’Ivoire. She spoke to How we made it in Africa about how she built the business, along with the global trends and opportunities driving demand for the lucrative nut. Read the full story >>
5. Nigeria: Businessman seizes opportunity in fitness industry
When Foluso Ogunwale launched iFitness in Nigeria in 2015, banks and other financiers were sceptical, doubting the market was big enough to support the venture. He pushed past that scepticism and the financing challenges to build iFitness into a chain of gyms across Nigeria, filling a gap for affordable, conveniently located fitness centres. Read the full story >>
Our new book, How we made it in Africa II: Real stories of entrepreneurs turning opportunity into profit, is available here. The book was recently shortlisted for the Business Council for Africa (BCA) African Business Book of the Year Awards 2026.
