If We Want a Digital Ghana, Start With Market Women, Not Just Tech Bros
By: Pascalina Fosu
Every time we talk about “Ghana’s digital future,” the conversation goes to the same places: Accra tech hubs, startup founders in hoodies, and apps built in coworking spaces.
But I think we’re looking in the wrong place.
If we are serious about a digital Ghana, we need to start where most of the economy already lives: Makola, Kaneshie, Kejetia, and every market in between. We need to start with market women.
Over the last few months, digital training programs have been happening right inside Makola Market. Not in a fancy lab. Under canopies, between cloth stalls and tomato buckets.
And what’s happening there shows us what real digital inclusion looks like.
The myth: “They’re too old to learn”
The biggest lie we tell ourselves is that digital skills are only for the young.
The truth on the ground is different. Women in their 40s and 50s who once only used phones for calls are now running WhatsApp Business catalogs. They are posting products on status, taking orders through chat, and receiving payments via Mobile Money QR codes.
They didn’t need a 4-year degree. They needed 3 days of practical training. Someone to show them: “This is how you post on status. This is how you generate a QR code. This is how you avoid fraud.”
The problem was never the women. The problem was that we assumed they couldn’t learn.
Why this matters for all of us
Market women move Ghana’s economy. They feed us, clothe us, and employ thousands. But for too long, digital policy has ignored them.
When market women are trained in WhatsApp and Mobile Money, 3 things happen:
1. Income goes up- No more lost sales to customers without cash
2. Business becomes safer Less cash means less risk of theft
3. Markets expand- Traders can now sell to customers beyond their physical stall
That’s not charity. That’s economic growth. And it’s happening without millions in VC funding.
What government and telcos must do next
The training by telcos, NGOs, and volunteers is a good start. But it’s not enough.
If we are serious, then:
1. Telcos should offer subsidized data bundles for small business owners. Data is a business cost, not a luxury.
2. Governmentshould make digital literacy part of market association programs. Every major market should have a “digital desk.”
3. Us, the youthshould stop assuming and start teaching. Your auntie, your mom, the woman who sells you plantain — ask if she needs help setting up MoMo Merchant.
The real digital revolution
A digital Ghana won’t be built only in Osu tech hubs. It will be built in Makola, one WhatsApp status and one QR code at a time.
The market women are ready. They are learning, adapting, and teaching each other.
The question is: are we ready to meet them there?
Because back then the market was only here. Now, the market is in their phone.
And if we get this right, Ghana’s digital future will be too.
