Episode 14: Yanfo Hackman on Why Social Media is Ghana’s New Radio

Welcome to the fourteenth episode of Afro-Catalyst, a podcast by Botho Emerging Markets Group.

Gone are the days of Africa’s single story. In large part, due to social media. Hundreds of millions of users across the continent have turned to tools like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to re-shape their narrative on their own terms. Brands have started to take notice and are increasingly expanding their marketing spend beyond traditional channels like radio or television to tap into opportunities to engage consumers online directly. Among the pioneers shaping how brands connect with consumers is Yanfo Hackman, an entrepreneur who has his finger on the pulse of digital advertising, marketing and communications in Ghana. Over the past decade, his agency Social Ghana has developed some of the most forward-thinking, digitally savvy campaigns in the country. One of his most celebrated recent projects includes the launch of @TwitterGhana. As millions of Ghanaians partook in the #DettyDecember revelry, Social Ghana kicked off a campaign spotlighting hilarious tweets addressing the realities of everyday life in Ghana. In this episode of Afro-Catalyst, we speak to Hackman about this landmark campaign as well as the changing behaviour of African consumers online and how Ghanaians are curating trending conversations not only at home but across the Black diaspora.

Host: Akinyi Ochieng

Guest: Yanfo Hackman, Founder and CEO, Social Ghana

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