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What It Takes to Build a Business in Ghana Today
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…