At the SHE Builds Conference in Accra, Angela Mensah-Poku, Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Ghana, highlighted Ghana’s impressive rise in female entrepreneurship across Africa. She proudly noted that Ghana is leading the way, with the fastest-growing number of female entrepreneurs on the continent.
“If you look at where entrepreneurial energy is coming from in Africa right now, Ghana is right at the top,” she said. “And what’s even more exciting is that a large part of this growth is being driven by women. Today, 44% of all micro and small businesses in Ghana are led by women. Even more striking is that 80% of informal businesses are also led by women.”
While this paints a promising picture, Mensah-Poku pointed out a critical challenge: many women remain in the informal sector because they view formalizing their businesses as too technical or restrictive. But staying informal often blocks access to the capital they need to grow.
“When you walk into a bank to apply for a loan, they’ll ask: Are you registered? Do you have assets? For many women, the answer is no,” she explained. “And while there’s nothing wrong with operating informally, if you want to scale your business and attract funding, formalisation is necessary.”
Mensah-Poku also emphasized the need for training and support, especially in digital tools, to help women entrepreneurs grow beyond the informal sector. However, she noted that confidence—more than skills or resources—remains one of the biggest barriers.
“A lot of women still don’t feel confident enough. Some even register their phones in their husband’s names. Later, when they need to use mobile money or access digital financial services, they face difficulties because the account isn’t in their name,” she shared.
To help address these gaps, she said MTN Ghana is actively partnering with banks and other stakeholders to make funding more accessible for women. “We’ve introduced affordable mobile data plans and business tools tailored for female entrepreneurs. These solutions are designed to meet women where they are—especially in places where formal infrastructure might be lacking.”
