Business
The Market Queens of Accra
West Africa's original businesswomen
Kwame Boateng 15 min 4.6Jun 11, 2025
About this story
Long before formal banks arrived, Ghana's market queens organized trade, extended credit, and wielded real political influence. This story traces their history from colonial-era textile markets to today's Makola Market.
TradeWomen in BusinessGhana
Transcript preview
Narrator: In Accra's Makola Market, the real economy has always run on relationships, not paperwork.
Narrator: Market queens organized thousands of traders, set prices, and extended credit on trust alone.
Narrator: Their influence reached far beyond the stalls — into party politics and national policy.
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Author
KW
Kwame Boateng
Ghana
Economist and podcaster covering entrepreneurship across the continent.
Languages available
🌍 English
