MTN Ghana CFO Urges Women Entrepreneurs in Kumasi to Embrace E-commerce at AWLO Impact Dinner

Speaking at the maiden African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO) Ghana Impact Dinner, Antoinette Kwofie, the Chief Finance Officer of MTN Ghana, challenged women-led businesses, including those in Kumasi and the Ashanti Region, to enhance their digital capabilities and actively utilize e-commerce platforms to expand their operations and reach global markets.

The AWLO Ghana Impact Dinner, held on April 27, 2025, at the Fiesta Residences in Cantonments, Accra, centered on the theme “Strutting into Global Markets: Utilising Traditional & Venture Capital Finance for Business Leverage.” The event aimed to foster crucial discussions on finance, regional trade, investor acquisition, and enterprise development, with a strong emphasis on equipping women with the necessary knowledge, networks, and frameworks to scale their businesses internationally.

During a panel discussion, Antoinette Kwofie highlighted a significant disparity: while many women-owned businesses effectively use social media for sales and marketing, their engagement with e-commerce platforms remains comparatively low.

Citing research from across the African continent, she revealed that approximately 60 percent of women-owned businesses leverage social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram for sales and marketing. However, only about 25 percent currently utilize dedicated e-commerce platforms. She emphasized that this limited adoption of e-commerce tools is hindering the growth potential of numerous women-led businesses.

Consequently, Antoinette Kwofie stressed the critical need for women entrepreneurs to embrace digital transformation. “Many women are fearful of online fraud, but if we could do more by adopting secure payment systems and using global e-commerce platforms and even going further to embed links to secure payment platforms in their websites, it would significantly increase our reach and help scale women-led businesses exponentially,” she asserted.

In her concluding remarks, Antoinette Kwofie encouraged women entrepreneurs to invest in improving their digital skills and financial literacy, pointing out that various organizations offer support for capacity building in these crucial areas. “So, I challenge every woman-led SME to do a little more in building their understanding of digital platforms. By doing so, you can increase your potential customer base and grow your business,” she urged the attendees, including many businesswomen from Kumasi.

The AWLO Ghana Impact Dinner served as a vital platform, bringing together female entrepreneurs, leaders, and industry experts to discuss strategies for business expansion through both traditional and venture capital financing. The African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO), a distinguished nonprofit established in 2009, is dedicated to redefining the role of African women in leadership, enabling them to lead authentically and impactfully through tailored leadership training, cross-border mentoring initiatives, executive coaching, and visibility platforms. For businesswomen in Kumasi and across Ghana, the insights shared at this event offer valuable guidance for navigating the digital marketplace.