Lucy Afari(1st from left)
Lucy Afari, Chief Executive Officer of Flexy Foods and producer of Ghana’s Kamini chocolate brand, was among five Ghanaian women chocolate manufacturers and cocoa processors who recently travelled to Cape Town under the SheTrades Hub initiative.
The trade mission aimed to showcase Ghana’s premium cocoa products, explore opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and break into South Africa’s high-end chocolate market.
Throughout the visit, Afari and her peers engaged with potential buyers and industry experts, gaining valuable insights from the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and DHL on consumer preferences, market trends, and logistics.
They also exchanged ideas with South African chocolate manufacturers, learning about new flavor profiles, product innovations, and production techniques.
A major outcome of the mission is the exploration of joint ventures that could see Ghanaian businesses supplying semi-finished cocoa products to South African partners, strengthening trade ties between the two nations.
The initiative was made possible through the UK Government-funded SheTrades Programme in collaboration with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (host of the SheTrades Ghana Hub) and the Small Enterprise Development & Finance Agency (host of the SheTrades South Africa Hub).
With this opportunity, Lucy Afari and other Ghanaian entrepreneurs are positioning their brands for greater international recognition, reinforcing Ghana’s status as a global leader in cocoa production and premium chocolate manufacturing.
