Industry & Retail

Building on years of robust growth in the sector, Ghana has launched a multifaceted programme to increase its industrial capacity and output. This wave of new initiatives is designed to strengthen the investment environment and boost the value-added component of the country’s manufactured exports. In 2017 manufacturing contributed $6.1bn to GDP, some 12% of the total. Moreover, the combination of a buoyant economy and demographic shifts such as rapid population growth and rising urbanisation levels are driving new trends in the Ghanaian retail sector. International brands and mall developers are becoming increasingly present, and the scope for the expansion of modern retail is considerable, following a decade where GDP grew by between 2% and 14% in any given year. This chapter contains an interview with Michael Okyere Baafi, Executive Secretary, Ghana Free Zones Authority.