Pulse Journal

By Nomako Tema, Ghana — At 6:00 a.m., John Tetteh is already walking the dusty road to the construction site where he mixes concrete six days a week. His daily pay? ₵14.88 — Ghana’s official minimum wage as of 2024. “That’s if the contractor doesn’t ‘forget’ to pay me,” he adds dryly, adjusting the second-hand boots he bought from Kantamanto market for ₵35. John is part of a silent majority of Ghanaians living on or below the minimum wage. As prices continue to rise, the question looms large: can anyone truly survive on such a figure in today’s Ghana? Understanding the Minimum Wage Ghana’s daily minimum wage is set by…

By Jasmine Accra, Ghana — On a humid Tuesday afternoon, 29-year-old fashion designer Sheila Ofori sits at her compact sewing table in Osu, surrounded by bright fabrics, thread, and unfinished garments. She’s been running her boutique for four years — and every day, she says, feels like starting from scratch. “People think owning a business is glamorous,” she says, adjusting her glasses. “But they don’t see the sleepless nights, the rent increases, the electricity outages, and the taxes.” Sheila is part of Ghana’s growing small business community, which contributes more than 70% to the nation’s GDP and employs about 80% of the workforce, according to the Ghana Enterprises Agency. But…

Byline: By Kwame Accra, Ghana — At a bustling roadside fruit stand in the suburb of Adabraka, 32-year-old trader Abena Owusu expertly arranges bunches of bananas and pineapples while checking her smartphone for mobile money alerts. “I hardly use physical cash anymore,” she says. “Most of my customers prefer to pay via Momo. It’s quicker, and I don’t have to keep too much change on me.” Once a luxury for the tech-savvy elite, digital payments have become a fixture of everyday life in many African cities. From market vendors to taxi drivers, the decline of cash is visible — and irreversible. But the rapid shift has also exposed deep gaps…

By Nomako Accra, Ghana — When Lydia Mensah leaves her two-bedroom home in Kasoa at 5:30 a.m. each morning, the first thing she does is check the contents of her purse. On most days, there’s enough for transportation. But lately, that hasn’t always been the case. “I used to spend GH₵8 total for trotro from home to work and back,” she said, referring to Ghana’s shared minibus taxis. “Now it’s closer to GH₵14. It may not sound like much, but it adds up, especially with school fees, rent, and food.” Lydia is one of thousands of working-class Ghanaians bearing the brunt of surging transportation costs, a ripple effect of global…