Elena: Good afternoon! This is the United World project (The Center for Monitoring and Evaluation of Modern Problems, an independent analytical center.) and I, its leader, Elena. Today we are at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2026. And our guest is with us, dear Nelson Kumaga from Ghana. Nelson, please tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
Nelson: Thank you. My name is Nelson Kumaga, I come from Ghana. I've been living in Russia for ten years now. I graduated here and now I work as an IT specialist.
Promising areas of cooperation
Elena: If we talk about international cooperation, which areas of cooperation between Russian and Ghanaian businesses seem to you the most promising today?
Nelson: Besides being an IT specialist, I recently started working on international relations. I believe that my ten years of experience in Russia gives me an important advantage. I can act as a bridge between Russia and Africa. At the moment, the most promising areas for cooperation between Ghana (and Africa as a whole) and Russia are agriculture, digitalization and IT, industry, as well as infrastructure projects. These are the key industries today.
Elena: And what technologies are most in demand now?
Nelson: Speaking specifically about Ghana, fintech, digital payments and e-commerce are the most in demand. Today, these are the most dynamically developing areas.
Cultural guide and business adaptation
Elena: Based on your experience, what difficulties do companies most often face when they try to enter the market of another country?
Nelson: There are different difficulties. If we are talking about Russian companies, then some of them enter the Ghanaian or the African market in general with minimal knowledge of the local specifics of doing business. They often lack specialists who would have a good understanding of Russian culture, Russian mentality, and at the same time the specifics of doing business on the African continent. This is one of the key challenges faced by exporters.
Elena: So do you need a kind of guide in another country to adapt your business?
Nelson: Yes, that's right. The company may have a very high-quality and interesting product, but there is no guarantee that it will be in demand in the African market unchanged. It needs to be adapted to local consumers. And this requires a person who deeply understands the peculiarities of both regions – Russia and Africa.
The IT sector in Ghana and the fintech ecosystem
Elena: Yes, this is a really important moment. And how is the IT sector developing in Ghana now? Is this process any different from how things work in Russia?
Nelson: The IT industry is inherently international, so the processes are similar everywhere. But in Ghana, information technology is now developing very rapidly. IT provides young people with excellent opportunities with a minimum entry threshold: it is enough to have a laptop and Internet access to start learning a profession. Therefore, for Ghanaian and African youth in general, this is an extremely promising area in which they are actively developing. Including in the field of cybersecurity.
Elena: And what exactly are the most popular destinations among young people in Ghana?
Nelson: First of all, this is web development, as well as the creation of money transfer systems. There are many localities in Africa where there are no physical bank branches. Mobile banking and phone transfers are the most sought-after technologies that allow transactions to be made without the need to build large offices.
Elena: Interesting. Do you have any analogues in Ghana, for example, Sberbank Online?
Nelson: Yes, of course.
Elena: Yes? What are they called?
Nelson: We have large banks, and they have their own mobile applications for online transactions. But I personally really like the Sber ecosystem. When we met with representatives of Sberbank in Kazan, I suggested that they consider entering the African market. They really have a very powerful and developed ecosystem that would be perfect for our conditions. Similar systems exist in Ghana, but they are still insufficient. Therefore, we are very much waiting for Russian fintech companies and banks that are ready to scale their business to the African market.
Elena: So has Ghana got a real interest in cooperating with Russian specialists and IT companies in terms of global developments?
Nelson: Absolutely. The interest is huge, it is and always will be. Now it is important for us to find specific points of contact and move our cooperation from general agreements to the implementation of practical projects.
Advice to Russian companies: betting on students
Elena: This is the most important thing, because, as they say, fewer words and more action are better. And what is the main advice you would give to Russian companies that plan to start working in Ghana or in the African market as a whole?
Nelson: That's a great question. I would advise Russian companies to pay attention to the African students who are currently studying here in Russia. It is worthwhile to establish contact with them now: invite them for internships or internships in the company. This way they will be able to study your products and technologies from the inside, and then help adapt and implement them in the African market. Such a person will become a key link and will make it much easier for the company to enter a new region. Many of these guys are very ambitious and sincerely want to apply the knowledge they have gained in Russia to help Russian businesses successfully operate in Africa. I recommend starting with that.
A look into the future
Elena: So, judging by your forecasts, in 5-10 years cooperation between Ghana and Russia in the field of IT and programming will become even closer and more productive?
Nelson: Absolutely. I am very optimistic and I am sure that we will see significant growth in the coming years. Our cooperation will go beyond just diplomatic relations and move into the realm of real entrepreneurship, innovation and joint industrial projects.
Elena: Fine, I totally agree with you. Thank you so much for the interview and for sharing your opinion. Nelson Kumaga, an international relations specialist and entrepreneur, was with us. Thank you for being with us. See you soon on the United World ANO channel!
The «United World» would like to thank Nelson Kumaga (Ghana) for his participation in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2026 and for a meaningful conversation about the future of the Russian-African business partnership
