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The number of American expatriates, people living outside their home country, moving to Ghana has risen significantly, especially since 2019’s Year of Return initiative.
Launched by the Ghanaian government, this initiative aligned with the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans arriving in Virginia in 1619. The Year of Return aimed to promote travel and investment in Ghana and encourage African resettlement by reconnecting the diaspora with their heritage.
Although no official figures exist, estimates suggest roughly 3,000 to 5,000 expat Americans living in Ghana. Jeff Adiyiah, co-owner of Koko Palm Inn and 1957 Daiquiri Bar, and Taqiyyudeen Saleem, a founding partner at Saleem and Co., are two Americans living in Ghana with hospitality businesses.
Through years of experience, both have a solid foundation and understanding of Ghanaian cultural norms and business protocols necessary for success which they are sharing below for those looking to engage in entrepreneurship in the country whether short or long term.
Taqiyyuddeen Saleem – Building Community is Essential
Saleem was born in Newark, New Jersey, and after his parents divorced when he was four, they eventually moved and settled in Atlanta. In 2002, he entered the real estate industry, which continues to fuel his entrepreneurial endeavors today.
“When I graduated, I started doing basic work,” Saleem says. “Cleaning houses and painting. I became a project manager, and some clients gave me seed capital to start Saleem & Company with my brother. We built over 100 homes.”
Then, the 2008 crisis hit. “We had several townhome developments and projects in Atlanta, but nearly everything was lost. We foreclosed on most, except my mom’s home in East Atlanta and a nearby office building we managed.”
Saleem and his family moved in together to save money and regroup. “In one house, it was me, my mom, my wife, my son, my brother, his wife, and my sister. It was actually one of the most fun times, because we were just kind of going back to their old school days, and we worked together and saved together.”
It also motivated Saleem to shift his real estate focus toward multicultural homes. “We rebuilt successfully, first through real estate brokerage, and then by acquiring multifamily properties. We started with 88 units and grew to manage nearly 3,000. At one point, I decided to sunset that company and shift toward more social and philanthropic work.”
Following this new achievement, Saleem took a step back to prioritize his children and begin philanthropic activities. Those efforts and his network of friends eventually led to his introduction to Africa.
“My first stop was Senegal, where we built a 25-room hotel in Medina Bay and another boutique hotel in Saly,” he says. “Later, friends invited me to Ghana, and I loved the energy there. We built our first hotel in Accra, Château Nana Willine. From there, we started other projects, including one in Koforidua called Yamoveti, and then we acquired Oasis Beach Resort, an already successful hotel and resort property. Not long after, I purchased Ko-Sa Beach Resort, which we closed on in July.”
When Saleem’s company acquired the hotel on Ghana’s Cape Coast, Ko-Sa had been operating for over 20 years. “It is an amazing eco-tourist destination. Our vision for Ko-Sa is to take what’s already strong and enhance it with best practices. The previous owners did well but didn’t fully leverage industry standards or market trends to optimize the experience.”
Saleem & Company has added a spa that hosts yoga retreats and markets for wellness, healing, and family retreats to African and African American audiences.
“We’re also adding features like a juice bar with herbal and vegan drinks —think Arden’s Garden back in Atlanta —as well as sprucing up rooms, adding amenities, and putting in a new pool. Ko-Sa is already successful, but our goal is to elevate the experience and make it even better.”
Lessons About Business in Ghana
Saleem mentions there was a learning curve when adapting to how business is conducted in Ghana, as opposed to America.
“In America, hyper-individualism is the norm. It’s an antidote in some ways, but comes with its toxicity; individualism mixed with consumerism and materialism. When you step back and appreciate the beauty of Eastern ways of being, you see a culture designed to help the entire group prosper, as long as it isn’t manipulated for self-serving purposes,” he says.
An example he gives is concerning contracts. “A contract might say, ‘Pay a million dollars, and share a bottle of Schnapps together.’ That bottle of Schnapps is essential; the deal isn’t done without it. We’ve lost out on opportunities despite doing all the groundwork because we didn’t understand these nuances.”
He continues, “We spent six months preparing, signed agreements, and then were told, ‘If you don’t want to kick it with me, there’s no business.’ All that work felt wasted.”
He stresses the importance of understanding how business in Ghana, relationships, and community intertwine. “Success requires understanding the importance of the network. Men are wired differently in respect; they may only fully respect a woman’s position if it’s validated by someone she trusts. And the same goes for women in terms of communication—it’s often necessary to go through trusted intermediaries.”
Saleem states that this advice extends beyond Ghana’s business sector, and Americans living in Ghana will struggle if they maintain a hyper-individualist mindset. “In America, community and family structures are disintegrated, so relationships often default to logic or directness,” he says.
“But relationships are a dance for doing business in Ghana; they’re emotional, nuanced, and not primarily about logic. You must invest time, build trust, and understand the cultural rhythms. What we often consider optional in the U.S., like community involvement and relationship maintenance, is non-negotiable in places like Ghana. You can’t just execute transactions; you need to do reconnaissance, build community differently, and respect the local norms.”
What’s Next
“Let’s check in within five years to see our progress. Our goal is to expand into West Africa and beyond, depending on growth,” Saleem says. “Africa accounts for 20% of the land and population, but for less than 6% of global tourism. We see tourism as a way to generate capital for education, aiming to unlock Africa’s potential and foster prosperity.”
Saleem views expansion as a measure of community success, not just profit. “Each hotel is like a Black country club—empowering spaces with classes on business, literacy and leadership. We want staff and partners to own hotels, eventually creating a growth cycle.”
Jeff Adiyiah – Take Your Time to Learn
Jeff Adiyiah is a first-generation American with Ghanaian roots. “I grew up in the U.S., attended Valdosta State University and joined Kappa Alpha Psi there,” he explains. “My parents are from Kumasi, so I started my journey back to Ghana around four or five years ago.”
His parents encouraged him to stay connected to his heritage, so he visited Ghana often during his childhood. “At first, it was just me embracing the culture, but by the time I turned 17, I started saving up money and buying my own tickets.”
From then on, he’d pay his way every summer break and go back to Ghana. “I really enjoyed it. It gave me early insight into the opportunities that could be down the line. I never thought I’d move; I just went to Ghana to enjoy and have fun. But those trips started looking more like an opportunity than a vacation over time.”
Adiyiah excelled in corporate America and investments before turning to Ghanaian entrepreneurship. He and his brother bought land and took over ownership of Koko Palm Inn, a boutique hotel with 11 rooms. There, he met his future business partner, Johnathan Reynolds, and they founded West Africa’s first daiquiri bar, 957 Daiquiri Bar.
“1957 is the year Ghana became independent. We said, ‘Let’s call it 957.’ Something easy for people to say, ‘I’m going to 957 tonight.’ It caught on.”
Ghana has a big nightlife scene and Adiyiah says patrons initially saw 957 Daiquiri Bar as a club. “The problem is, people don’t necessarily want daiquiris at night. It’s not hot anymore, so demand drops. That forced my partner and me to rethink things.”
They made their business an everyday bar with good food, drinks, and a chill hangout spot.
“We’re open until about 11 p.m., so you can still come in, relax, and enjoy some good ‘80s and ‘90s R&B. That’s the atmosphere we’re building; something consistent, not just nightlife hype.”
Because it is the first of its kind, Adiyiah set the standards high. “We use real juice, real fruits,” he says. “Slowly but surely, people are buying in and enjoying it. Especially with the weather, they see that it cools them down when it’s hot. And for those who want alcohol, we’ve got that. If you don’t drink, you can get it virgin as well.”
957 Daiquiri Bar makes everything in-house and uses no pre-mixes. “It sets us apart compared to other places. Another daiquiri bar even asked if we could make our pre-mix for them. So, we’re setting the standard.”
Lessons learned from owning Ghana’s first daiquiri bar have been trial and error. Adiyiah says that Ghanaians typically prefer stronger drinks, and their sweet palate differs. “Even their chocolate isn’t as sweet as what we have in the U.S. So we had to adjust, experimenting with how much strawberry juice to use, or how to balance flavors.”
They also have to pay more attention to the seasons regarding produce. “Unlike the U.S., where you can get strawberries or other ingredients year-round, a product goes out of season. We learned that the hard way; those first few months, we’d order something, and suddenly it was out of stock. The farmers weren’t producing it anymore, which was a real eye-opener.”
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Building Businesses with Ghanaians in Mind
For Americans considering a move and being a business owner in Ghana, Adiyiah advises remembering that it’s still a developing country. “It’s called that for a reason. Yes, you’ll see nice buildings, cars, and roads, but things don’t work the same way in the U.S.,” he says.
“The laws aren’t interpreted the same, and systems don’t operate the way you might be used to. Many of us come in with a high and mighty mindset because we’re from the States or elsewhere; throw that out the window. When you’re in Ghana, you’re in Ghana. Accept that first.”
The second thing he stresses is to build your business for Ghana, and not the diaspora. “Too often, Americans living in Ghana launch ventures that appeal only to expats, like soul food restaurants. But Ghanaians don’t have that cultural reference point. They don’t crave it, they don’t choose it as part of their everyday lives. You can have the best soul food around, but if locals don’t relate to it, the business won’t stick.”
Adiyiah emphasizes recognizing your position as an outsider when doing business abroad. He explains that trying to be the visible face of everything for Americans living in Ghana can backfire.
“Your business will be charged more, and you’ll be targeted more,” he says. “You must understand that and partner with Ghanaians to ensure progress. When you go overseas, especially in Ghana, across Africa, and maybe other countries, people notice you’re a foreigner. They hear your accent, and suddenly the price goes up. I’ve had situations where I went to negotiate something and was quoted around 5,000 cedis, and then a local guy went and got the same thing for 2,000. It’s crazy.”
However, Adiyiah highlights some key benefits of living in Ghana. “The biggest difference is the sense of peace. Crime occurs everywhere, but not at the U.S. level. Most news relates to political disputes or nonsense, not shootings.”
The peacefulness fosters genuine conversations. “Without the tech and distractions prominent in the U.S., people gather to eat, talk and connect. I really like that. For Americans living in Ghana, that slower pace makes it easier to connect in ways that are harder back home.”
For the final piece of advice, he recommends visiting Ghana multiple times before making a permanent move. “Stay three to six months, understand the culture, and learn about the differences among tribes, like Ashanti, Gonja, or northern tribes. Take your time, learn the language and customs, and then make your move.”
