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Ghana’s slowdown had a noticeable impact on the construction sector. However, its prospects appear to be brightening, with sizeable capital allocations in the government’s budget and growth of 3.7% targeted for the industry in 2017. New government initiatives and increased oil revenues are hoped to bring further opportunities for infrastructure and real estate projects, with a range of factory, roadway, airport and railway initiatives in the pipeline. Since 2007 Ghana’s real estate market has followed a cyclical trajectory, booming when headline growth is strong, but slowing in recent years in line with the commodity price drop in 2014. However, the country is expected to see increased activity in the property market in the medium term, following government efforts to boost the sector and the abolition of the 5% value-added tax on all real estate sales in 2017. The chapter contains an interview with Karim Ibrahim, Managing Director, Dream Realty.

With the urbanisation rate and the vehicle-to-population ratio increasing steadily, and exports on the rise, there is growing pressure on transport infrastructure in Ghana. These are indicators of increased economic opportunity, but they also contribute to congestion on the roads, at ports and in the air. The overall growth of the past decade has challenged the sector to keep pace, and facilitate rapid transit of both people and commodities. In response, the government has been increasing focus on transport infrastructure, with a particular push for airport and port development. This chapter contains an interview with Mohamed Samara, CEO, Meridian Port Services.

Ghana was one of the first countries in Africa to liberalise and deregulate its telecoms industry. The sector is well established, and has a high penetration rate in voice and data services, bringing a range of content to consumers and posting steady growth. Both private operators and public bodies are pushing forward on geographic coverage and network expansion, while service improvement has been a particular focus of the government in recent years. IT has become a crucial component of economic growth in Ghana over the last decade. The country offers a stable environment for innovation, and the development of IT products and applications, thanks in part to a welcoming regulatory framework and rapid uptake of data services. This chapter contains interviews with Nana Osei Afrifa, CEO, Vokacom; and Jørn Lyseggen, Founder and CEO, Meltwater Group.

Industry is at the centre of government plans to transform the economy from one reliant on its resource base to one driven by value-added exports. The current administration has laid out a series of plans to achieve these goals and build strong value chains around key industries, announcing a number of policies designed to support the industrial agenda and expand production. The performance of the retail sector has generally reflected that of the wider economy, and as Ghana is a particularly price-sensitive market, the inflationary environment and subsequent decline in spending have affected segments such as food and luxury goods. However, the long-term opportunities in the market are promising, thanks in large part to Ghana’s young and growing population; more than 50% of citizens are under the age of 25, providing a stream of tech-savvy and eager consumers. This chapter contains interviews with Kais Marzouki, CEO, Nestlé Central and West Africa Region; and James Asare-Adjei, Former President, Association of Ghana Industries, and CEO, Asadtek Group.

Employing over half the national labour force, agriculture has long played a pivotal role in Ghana´s economy, and its key agriculture product, cocoa, is one of the top-three export commodities. After years of slower growth, the sector is poised for a revival, particularly given the strong government and private interest in advancing development through technological innovation. As long as initiatives are well coordinated along the value chain, domestic use and export-focused commercial agriculture is likely to make steady progress in the short term. This chapter contains an interview with Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister of Food and Agriculture.

For more than 150 years the mining industry has been one of the key pillars of the Ghanaian economy. While it contributes a modest and – as a result of rising oil, gas and agricultural production – declining proportion of GDP, it remains a major source of government revenue, through taxation and royalty payments, and an indispensable driver of employment and infrastructure development. Following several years of weak commodity markets, the rebound in global prices has resulted in bigger profit margins for miners, while upgrades in key projects have helped boost production. Moreover, expansion projects and continued exploration activities indicate that Ghana’s history of large-scale gold mining will continue for many years to come.