Challenges Ghana

Challenges Ghana is the Accra-based branch of The Challenges Group, and has been operating in Ghana since 2014. 

Like its sister organisations, it is focused on providing business advisory and international development services to enterprises, entrepreneurs, youth, large corporate organisations and development agencies. 

Located in the dynamic enterprise space Kukun, in Osu, Ako Adjei, the hub of Ghana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, Challenges Ghana has delivered business advisory, implementation and business support services to more than 300 businesses in both the formal and informal sectors.  

The team have carried out extensive and high-quality market research for SMEs and big corporate organisations across the length and breadth of Ghana. We have created significant synergies with stakeholders in Ghana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem over the past six years, and we are well-positioned to support a variety of development partners to strategically grow and impact the entrepreneurial ecosystem.  

Challenges Ghana has partnered with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to roll-out a Re–integration Programme for 50 Ghanaian returned migrants in Kumasi (most of them are youth, women, and people living with disabilities). We delivered training in business and employability skills for the returned migrants to help them develop their entrepreneurial and employability skills using a combination of Level 3 and 5 Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) contents. Thanks to this project, 18 solo and partnership businesses have been created by the returned migrants, and, in addition, we liaised with our enterprise portfolio to find seven quality job opportunities for beneficiaries.  

Our team have further expanded our role as an ecosystem enabler in Ghana by delivering market assessments and business diagnostic services to 20 green businesses within the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre’s accelerator. We deepened our footprint in the environmental conservation and the green economy through Challenges’ Access Africa Programme by conducting market entry studies, business diagnosis, business management training, and network support for four environmental/agribusinesses around the Bia Biosphere Reserve (Bia East District, Ghana) on behalf of a Scottish-based social enterprise, the Forestry Commission of Ghana and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ghana.  

Currently, Challenges Ghana is working with Newmont, one of Ghana’s largest mining companies, on a rural economic diversification project for its operational communities. The aim of the project is to mitigate any negative economic impact of mine closures as the life span of the company’s activities comes to an end in the next 10 years, with the ideal outcome of ensuring zero net jobs loss. Using our market analysis tools, we have conducted an extensive market analysis and have delivered a recommendation document that highlights quick wins to demonstrate the viability of economic diversification in mining communities and asset spin-offs recommendations to support the diversification process in Phase One of the project. 

Similar to our other Challenges offices, the Ghana office has concentrated on tailoring our approach to client and beneficiary needs. Our team of professionals consultants combine a focus on local knowledge with capacity building, skills development and training. Our ambition is to work within the dynamic Ghanaian business environment to become the leading ecosystem enabler across multiple sectors and with partners to deliver multi-layered holistic solutions to systemic growth and economic development.