Ghana

imported 2024-03-17 17:43:07

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.

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