Ghana Interviews

List of all articles filed under “ghana-interviews” category.

Aaron Tawiah on Building Estaaron Ventures: From Cement Distribution to Real Estate in Ghana

In this in-depth interview, Aaron Tawiah, CEO of Estaaron Ventures Limited, shares the inspiring journey of building one of Ghana’s leading construction materials suppliers and real estate developers. Starting in 2010 with just two containers and a small shop, Estaaron Ventures has grown into a major cement distributor in Ghana, with over 17 branches nationwide and plans to reach 20 by year-end.

Aaron explains how his background working at Krane Construction Limited shaped his understanding of the construction industry in Ghana, enabling Estaaron to provide expert guidance on building materials, cement supply, iron rods, and construction project management. The company is recognized as a major CIMAF cement distributor in Ghana and a partner of Fabrimetal iron rods, ensuring quality from sourcing to delivery.

Beyond supplying building materials in Ghana, Estaaron has expanded into real estate development. Their projects include townhouses in Accra, studio apartments in Accra, and future developments in Spintex and Aburi. The company’s estates promote green real estate in Ghana, with features like solar-powered estates, biogas waste treatment plants, and energy-efficient housing.

Estaaron Ventures aims to deliver affordable housing in Ghana, targeting price ranges of GHS 100,000–130,000 while maintaining quality. The estates include high-end amenities such as restaurants, gyms, swimming pools, and 24/7 janitorial services. Aaron emphasizes honesty and transparency in real estate, ensuring that what is marketed matches the final build.

He also discusses the challenges and opportunities in Ghana’s real estate market, including the impact of the cedi’s fluctuations on property pricing and real estate investment. The company is exploring real estate projects in Dubai, aiming to replicate their townhouse concept design and space-conscious architecture in the UAE market.

Estaaron Ventures places strong value on partnerships and customer service in construction supply, offering prompt delivery and building long-term relationships with cement retailers, building contractors in Ghana, and individual customers. Their five-year strategic vision includes expanding to 50 branches, growing their affordable homes portfolio, and deepening partnerships with Republic Bank Ghana and Ghana Home Loans to finance mortgage solutions in Ghana.

Stephen Yeboah on Green Mining, Mercury-Free Gold, and Ghana’s Commodity Future

In this interview, Stephen Yeboah, CEO and co-founder of Commodity Monitor Ghana, shares the company’s journey, vision, and impact in transforming Africa’s commodity value chain through engineering solutions, sustainable mining technology, and strategic trade networks.

Founded in 2017, Commodity Monitor operates at the intersection of commodity trading, logistics, and research, bridging producers and consumers across global markets. The company deals in both soft commodities like maize, wheat, cocoa, and soya, and hard commodities such as gold, oil and gas, and renewable energy technologies.

A core focus of the company is its commitment to green mining practices. In Ghana’s small-scale mining sector—which employs over two million people—Commodity Monitor introduced a mercury-free gold processing technology to replace outdated Chinese machinery. This innovation aligns with Ghana’s commitment to the Minamata Convention and addresses the environmental and health hazards of mercury use in gold mining. Their eco-friendly gold recovery system has delivered up to 87% gold recovery, a major improvement over traditional methods.

Stephen Yeboah emphasizes that formalizing small-scale mining through equipment financing, mining cooperatives, and government partnerships is critical for curbing illegal mining (galamsey) and boosting rural economic development in Ghana. The company’s model has even been replicated in Zambia, proving its scalability and impact.

Commodity Monitor is also positioning itself as a mine support services provider, registered with Ghana’s Minerals Commission, and extending its services to large-scale mining operations. With support from partners in South Africa, Canada, and China, the company continues to fine-tune its technology, adapting machines to local geological conditions—from Obuasi to Tarkwa, Wa, and the Upper East.

Beyond mining, Yeboah highlights the importance of value addition in agriculture, advocating for local processing in cocoa and cereals. He stresses that Africa’s arable land and smart agriculture technologies, such as AI in farming, should be harnessed to shift from import dependency to export leadership.

Looking ahead, Commodity Monitor’s vision is to become a pan-African engineering company that delivers customized solutions across agriculture, mining, energy, and oil and gas—all while promoting environmental sustainability, local beneficiation, and inclusive growth.

Seth Quaye: Driving Ghana’s Mining Innovation Through Local Content and Engineering Excellence

In this interview, the MarcoPolis team sat down with Seth Quaye, the CEO of MAC Partners, a Ghana-based engineering and mining services company that has rapidly positioned itself as a key player in West Africa’s mining support services sector. Founded in 2014, MAC Partners has grown into a multi-disciplinary business specializing in aftermarket mining parts, EPC contracting, engineering construction, and mining industry training through its MAC Partners Training Institute.

Operating from its home base in Ghana, MAC Partners services major mining operations across Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Guinea, embodying its commitment to local content advocacy. Quaye emphasized the company’s focus on reducing long lead times for mining consumables by investing in local manufacturing—notably, a new production plant in Obuasi that transforms local rubber into mill lining and crusher backing compounds.

With a strong foundation in engineering excellence, the company adheres to four key values: continuous improvement, accountability, respect, and customer-centric service. Its tailored solutions approach ensures that no engineering project is treated with a one-size-fits-all mindset. This has made MAC Partners a trusted name in mine redevelopment projects, including its high-profile involvement in the AGA Obuasi mine and the full-scope rebuild of the Northern Ashanti Mines facility in Konongo.

On the technology front, MAC Partners leverages partnerships with firms in South Africa, Germany, and Sweden to introduce advanced tools such as diagnostics systems, AI-supported training, and robotic welding, particularly within its training and fabrication units. These innovations strengthen the company’s competitiveness and relevance across the mining engineering value chain.

Sustainability is emerging as a strategic focus, with local production efforts helping to reduce the carbon footprint of Ghana’s mining sector. While still developing a formal ESG policy, MAC Partners already aligns its operations with international sustainability standards, especially in collaboration with environmentally conscious clients.

The company is also active in corporate social responsibility (CSR), offering discounted training to local communities and supporting education initiatives in the Obuasi region. Quaye revealed that CSR and skills development for the mining sector are closely tied to MAC Partners’ broader mission to be a “Local Content Ambassador” for the region.

Looking ahead, MAC Partners aims to become West Africa’s number one mining support company, expanding its physical footprint, resourcing its Burkina Faso office, and launching bases in Ivory Coast and Guinea. Through its Talent Acquisition Program, the company is investing in training the next generation of mining engineers in Ghana, with plans to scale this initiative further over the next five years.

Seth Quaye concluded with a strong message to fellow Ghanaian mining companies: the future of the industry lies in local manufacturing, technical collaboration, and transforming Ghana into a net exporter of mining technology and consumables. His leadership continues to drive MAC Partners toward its ambitious goal of being the leading mine support service company in West Africa.

B5 Plus and Mukesh Thakwani: Pioneering High-Quality Steel Production in Ghana

In this exclusive interview, Mukesh Thakwani, the visionary Founder and CEO of B5 Plus, delves into the company’s transformative journey and its significant contribution to the steel manufacturing industry in Ghana and West Africa. Since its inception, B5 Plus has been at the forefront of delivering high-quality steel products, including TMT bars, angle bars, galvanized steel, and reinforcement rods, tailored to meet the diverse needs of the construction, mining, and infrastructure sectors. Mukesh Thakwani’s unwavering commitment to the “Made in Ghana” vision has not only reduced reliance on imported steel but has also positioned B5 Plus as a beacon of industrial growth and self-reliance in the region.

With a focus on sustainability, innovation, and adherence to international quality standards, B5 Plus has expanded its product line to include custom-fabricated steel solutions, catering to both local and international markets. Mukesh Thakwani shares how the company has successfully navigated challenges such as the influx of cheap steel imports and high operational costs while advocating for policies that support local steel manufacturers. Through strategic investments, state-of-the-art facilities, and partnerships, B5 Plus has emerged as a key player driving economic development and creating employment opportunities across West Africa.

Join us as Mukesh Thakwani discusses his vision for the future of steel production, the role of STEM education in empowering the next generation of innovators, and B5 Plus’s plans to further enhance its contributions to Ghana’s industrialization and regional integration. This conversation highlights the determination, leadership, and strategic foresight that have made B5 Plus a cornerstone of the steel industry in Ghana and beyond.

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